Vivo Energy Converting Durban Refinery Into Fuel Storage Hub
About half of South Africa’s refining capacity has shut in recent years, including the 120,000 barrel-a-day Engen plant in Durban, which was converted into a terminal in 2021 after a prolonged period of losses and a fire.
Photographer: Mlungisi Mbele/AFP/Getty Images
Vitol Group’s Vivo Energy is building fuel tanks at a former Durban refinery site to become a leading South African storage hub, buffering the import-dependent nation from oil market shocks.
Construction of the $130-million project will result in 300,000 cubic meters of capacity and is set to be completed in the third quarter of 2027, according to George Roberts, an executive vice president at the firm. It will add to the 200,000 cubic meters of capacity being refurbished at the nearby Island View facility.