The new tank farm complex and the bunkering terminal of the Magam Ruhunupura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port (MRMRP) in Hambantota is set to be opened on June 22 by President Mahinda Rjapaksa, a media statement by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) said.

The tank farm that could house marine fuel oil, aviation fuel and LPG will have a total capacity of 80,000 m3, the SLPA said.

“This project is composed of five up right tanks with dome in 10,000m3, three up right tanks with dome in 5,000m3, three up right tanks with dome in 3,000m3, three spherical LPG tanks with 2,000m3 and all necessary auxiliary facilities,” the statement said.

The tank farm project is expected to provide bunkering services for the ships and domestic requirements for LPG and Aviation Oil.

Meanwhile the bunkering facility is made of eight tanks and is divided into two groups with three 10,000 m3 tanks in one dike and another three 5,000 m3 tanks and two 3,000 m3 tanks in a second dike. The marine jetty facility for ship berthing consists of two berths of 300m each in length with a draft of 15 meters. Each jetty is equipped with 8 loading/unloading arms with segregation for heavy fuel, gas oil, aviation fuel and LPG. For bunkering operations, there are separate loading and unloading pipelines to ensure uninterrupted services for both the bunkering vessels and import/export vessels in continuing its normal operations.

The facility is also equipped with a modern laboratory with fully qualified and experienced chemists and analysts to test all products that will be stored at the tank farm. It will be the first laboratory outside Colombo to have the facility to test petroleum products which will ensure reliability of the products at Hambantota.

An additional unique feature is that the Hambantota port will be one of the very few ports in the region with a modern state-of-the-art reception facility for slops/waste oil from vessels.

The waste oil reception plant has a storage capacity of 500cum and will enable the vessels passing Sri Lanka to discharge their oily waste whilst complying with MARPOL regulations and ensuring clean and green environment.