FEDERAL Government yesterday commissioned the much awaited 300,000 litre capacity Mega floating station to dispense petroleum products at retail pump prices in the Niger Delta to boost commerce in the area. The Mega floating station, �MV Nembe�is the first of its kind to be constructed anywhere in the world and was built by mesers Julius Berger at its Palaver yard, construction site in Lagos.
Dr. Edmund Daukoru, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources while speaking at the commissioning said that the floating station is an asset to the people of Niger-Delta being the first of its kind to be commissioned anywhere in the world.
�This is another expression of this administration commitment to the development of the Niger-Delta area and parts of the objectives includes the establishment of a platform to develop marine bunker fuel business for Nigeria, thereby creating additional business opportunities for the Niger-Delta region, and also to create employment opportunities for the inhabitants of the region. �Although there are smaller floating barges delivering unique services to water-based populations the world over, this is the first time anywhere in the world that a Mega floating station has been conceived, designed, engineered and fabricated locally to meet the needs of a riverine community, and it is also the first by Julius Berger,� he said.
He also said that with the project in place, the riverine communities of the Niger-Delta will benefit from the multiplier effects of affordable petroleum products.
The commissioned station which is about 45m x 17m x 3m, has eight fuel dispensers for petrol, Kerosene and Diesel and has the capacity of serving about 500 petrol engines, 500 drums of diesel and also 2000 kegs of kerosene daily .
Its daily sales are anticipated at about 75,000 liters, indicating that each station will be self sufficient for four days without replenishment.
Managing Director of Julius Berger, the contracting firm that is handling the massive project, disclosed that the project was initially thought to be impossible; �when the Group Managing Director first suggested to us about a floating station, our first thought was that of a technical impossibility, but after due convictions from him and Dr. Olatokunbo Somolu, we decided to embark on what you see here today.�
He also confirmed that the project was nearly 100 per cent local content and that the massive floating station is maintenance free for a life span of 25 years.
Also speaking, Dr. Funsho Kupolokun, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC indicated the Corporation�s inclination towards dispensing products to the 14 riverine Local Government Areas of the Niger-Delta.
He also said the Mega floating station is designed and fabricated to the highest international standard, noting that in view of the insecurity of the Niger-Delta areas, the electricity payment system �NNPC loader card� would be distributed to all the areas where the floating station would be operational and that the remaining stations would be delivered by or before 29th of May 2007.
Chief Edwin Clark, a notable elder statesman from the area who spoke on behalf of the Niger-Delta communities expressed happiness at the commitment of the Federal Government to the Niger-Delta areas and appealed to the youths to stop the violence in the region, especially incessant kidnapping of expatriate oil workers.
According to him it takes the people of Nembe in the community where the commissioned station is to be operated a minimum of two hours to get to Yenagoa by canoe.
However, he noted that with this project in operation things are expected to change for the better.
�If the youths of the Niger-Delta riverine areas can be employed to man these various stations, I can assure you that nothing will happen to these investments as the restiveness of the youths would have been better checked by engaging their services.�
Sir Richard Grozney, the British High Commissioner in company of the Finish, and Polish Ambassadors to Nigeria were on hand to witness the commissioning.
Also on Ground were Royal Fathers from the Niger -Delta areas of Operemo and Bomadi in Delta state and Bomo in Bayelsa state, and foremost Ijaw leader and former Minister of Information Chief Edwin Clark.