Trinidad and Tobago-headquartered UNIPET is partnering with a local company and plans to invest US$4.9 million here in a first-of-its-kind 24-hour gas station which will be equipped with charging docks for electric cars.
The decision to partner with a local company has been welcomed by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), which said the venture is an example of what it has been encouraging, even as it presses for local content legislation here.
“UNIPET is not just coming on their own accord but with locals. That is what we are encouraging. Anything that is new and revolutionizing to Guyana, the GCCI is fully embracing. We want people to come and help to change the landscape of Guyana,” President of GCCI Timothy Tucker told the Sunday Stabroek.
He stressed that the GCCI was not “averse to foreign direct investment” and “welcomes investors and investment here, especially in areas that Guyanese are not in or yet qualified to do”, but believes firmly that overall Guyanese must see tangible benefits from the oil and gas sector and investment opportunities in their homeland.
“We are not anti- foreign investment; we support foreign investment. We just say it should not be at the expense of locals,” he said.
The Sunday Stabroek reached out to UNIPET and its Chief Operating Officer Kirt Hills said that while a draft statement was prepared , the local partners had not yet given the “go ahead” for its release.
However, on its Facebook page, UNIPET said that the decision to invest in Guyana “is consistent with UNIPET’s vision: To be one of the most admired energy and convenience service companies delivering superior value in the Caribbean”.
Of its plans, the company announced, “United Independent Petroleum Marketing Company Limited (UNIPET) is currently awaiting approval from the Guyana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to build a multi- purpose fuel facility at Pant ‘P’, Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, Guyana.”
“This US$4.9 Million investment will provide a Bulk Fuel Storage Facility with Gantry Loading, Office buildings and a Gas Station and Convenience Store. Once the approval is granted, construction will begin with the actual opening projected for 24 months later. The overall life of the Project is 30 years with the first 2 years devoted to construction and commissioning. From construction to commissioning, the project is expected to provide employment for locals from a range of professions,” it added.
The Environmental Protection Agency has notified the public of the proposal by UNIPET and said that the project – a multi-purpose fuel facility at Pant ‘P’, Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, did not require an Environmental Impact Assessment.
In its project summary, UNIPET said that the 1.112 hectares facility will consist of a Bulk Fuel Storage facility with Gantry loading operations, office buildings and other ancillary infrastructure.
It will have a four-vehicle fueling Gantry, an office building for 50 employees, a gas station and convenience store with automatic merchandising machines and six dispensers which will be serviced by pipes running from the bulk fuel storage.
There will be two Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations on site.
Not known is if charging will be free but the company makes charging in Trinidad and Tobago, at its Lady Hailes service station (San Fernando) & UNIPET’s Head Office (Aranguez) free to the public.
As it pertains to employment, the company gives a breakdown of each phase of its development, from start up to commission, informing that at all stages more than 90% of the work force will be from Guyana.
During construction, UNIPET anticipates that 70 employees will be needed over the two-year period with 65 being drawn from Guyana and five non-locals. During its startup, it said that 30 of the 36 persons will be Guyanese.
When the entity is fully operational, only two non-locals will remain of the 36-person total work force.
It is proposed that construction would only occur between 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Saturday as the company plans to have no work done work on Sundays and Public Holidays.
And with a detailed occupational health and safety plan for all stages of its operations, the company said that even before it begins work, a Construction Environmental Management Plan (CEMP) would be prepared to address the management of potential environmental impacts associated with construction activities. The CEMP would include at a minimum, management measures to address the issues such as Surface Water, Soils, Air quality, Noise and vibration and waste during the construction phase.
It also provides the EPA with a spill prevention and control plan and underscored that “UNIPET employees are trained to implement spill prevention practices for work with and around oil sources. UNIPET personnel will use spill prevention practices at all times to minimize the potential for a release,” the project summary states.
Personnel at the facility will also have responsibilities to perform testing, inspection, and maintenance of all petroleum equipment to keep it performing in an efficient and environmentally sound manner.
“The facility will periodically verify the integrity of each tank in accordance with an industry standard inspection procedure. The frequency of such testing will be as specified by the selected industry standard procedure. All petroleum tank and piping problems shall be immediately reported to the senior Line Manager for maintenance. Visible oil spills (leaks) that cause a loss of oil from tank walls, piping or other components shall be repaired or replaced as soon as possible,” it adds.
UNIPET said it anticipates a positive response from the EPA and has complied with all regulatory requirements.
