The All Petroleum Products (APP) Limited is set to establish 14 mega pump stations at the Levuma Beach in Goderich. This was disclosed by the APP Managing Director Patrick John O’Dwyer during the public disclosure engagement on the Environment and Social and Health Impact Assessment (ESHIA) of the said project.
The programme, which attracted stakeholders from the community and government officials, was mainly to look into the ESHIA and listen to concerns coming from the community people. In his statement the EPA representative Sheik Ahmed Tunis said Sierra Leone has had such laws in place since 2008 to look into the social and health impact of such a project on the lives of the people and the community as a whole.
He said after receiving the APP proposal, they instructed them to complete the environment impact assessment, which was done and handed over to them, and to which they made a few input. Mr. Tunis said the community people now have the final opportunity to come up with issues on the health and social aspect of life in relations to the project.
According to the Chief Director in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Charles Merewether Thompson, if there is a scarcity in petroleum products, such will affect all other commodities in the market. He said for Levuma to have 14 mega pump stations is not only an improvement for the Goderich community but for the entire country.
He said there is no gas station around Levuma, adding that such a project will not only promote availability but also price stability in the sector.
The representative from the Petroleum Regulatory Agency (PRA), Jayah Muana said when his boss took over at the agency he wanted to succeed in having an open market, and fair and attracting investment. He said the APP project will create employment and boost the country’s economy, adding that they will stop issuing licenses in the Western area, as the rural communities also needed some.
Giving an overview of the APP project, Managing Director Patrick John O’Dwyer said they are going to set up a 14 mega pump station in Levuma, with a car park, restaurant and a modernised supermarket.
He said with his partner Philip Oshotse they are going to give Sierra Leoneans the best of facilities in the food sector and petroleum services. He said preparations for petroleum services are 90% complete and will surely start operations in March 2021.
The Managing Director said they plan having five gas stations in Freetown, starting with Levuma and then spread to the provinces. APP Limited has been established to set up world class downstream oil and gas operations in Sierra Leone. The company is proposing to take over the old refinery at Kissy terminal for the purpose of improving a strategic petroleum product reserve for the economy with long term view of building a modular refinery.
The M.D. thanked the government and stakeholders in the community for their support. The programme ended with questions and answers from the community people, who were happy about the project.
By Mohamed J. Bah