New fuel depot inaugurated at  Victoria Fishing Port |28 March 2023

Seychelles Nation

Boat owners making use of the Victoria Fishing Port now have access to a new fuel depot.

The new facility was officially inaugurated yesterday morning by Designated Minister and Minister for Fisheries & the Blue Economy, Jean-François Ferrari, and French ambassador to Seychelles, Olivia Berkeley-Christmann.

The Seychelles Fishing Authority (SFA) took the initiative to demolish the old, dilapidated depot back in 2018 and build a new and modern fuel depot and increase its capacity, to cater for the 77 registered boat owners that purchase fuel at the Victoria Fuel Depot.

Previously there were 2 fuel tanks with a holding capacity of 14,000 litres and 9,000 litres each, amounting to a total holding capacity of 23,000 litres.On a monthly basis SFA is ordering around 150,000 litres of gasoil. Due to the holding capacity limitation, SFA needed to order fuel from the Seychelles Petroleum Company (Seypec) at least twice a week to ensure adequate supply to the fishing vessels.

The new fuel depot is equipped with two, 23,000-litre tanks, doubling the existing holding capacity.The project is funded by the European Union under the 2020-2026 EU-Seychelles Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement, Sectoral Support Programme.

Construction of a temporary fuel depot started in September 2021 for use during the construction of the new depot, so as not to disrupt the operations of the vessels that make use of the Victoria Station. Once in operation, construction of the main fuel depot began. Cost of construction – R2.7 million.

When addressing the guests at the inauguration ceremony, the chief executive of the Seychelles Fishing Authority, Phillippe Michaud, said that while under construction SFA had ensured the continued availability of fuel and when building the new depot, SFA had also taken into account the requirement at the Victoria fishing port.

“We have taken into account the requirements of our stakeholders and upgraded the facilities to bring a better service. On a monthly basis SFA is ordering around 150,000 litres of gasoil. With increased holding capacity, we can now reduce the frequency at which we need to order fuel while still ensuring adequate supply to the fishing vessels,” he said.

Mr Michaud thanked the Ministry of Fisheries, and the European Union for guidance and assistance throughout.

For his part Minister Ferrari said that fuel is a necessary component in the fisheries industry and extended his appreciation to the European Union which funded the facility.

“Such programs are vital to the sustained development of fisheries and we are pleased to be able to count on the EU in this regard. We will continue to work together and collaborate for continuous development, and also to overcome challenges in this ever-evolving sector,” said Mr Ferrari.

He added that Seychelles has long supported boat owners and fishers through facilitations and concessions offered on the price of fuel but these concessions do not mean that those in need would be subject to a lower standard of service delivery.

“The previous facility, that has been in service for decades, had reached the point where we had to make the necessary improvements to meet the increasing demands and ensure safe and efficient operations,” said the designated minister.

For her part, Ambassador Berkeley-Christmann said that yesterday’s event was a new milestone towards supporting the fishing sector, and the European Union will continue to finance such projects which contribute towards the country’s economy.

The main contractor for the project was QingJian International and the construction was made in conjunction with Seypec and the Seychelles Fire and Rescue Services Agency (SFRSA) to ensure that the facility meets all the necessary requirement in terms of operation and safety.  

The facility is equipped with 2 fuel dispensers and 4 fuel pumps. This will allow for faster service delivery.

The fuel dispenser, pumps and pipes were installed by Seypec at a cost of R145,200. The entire project has cost approximately R3.3 million.

The new fuel depot which is operational since yesterday opens Monday to Friday from 7am to 3pm.

Compiled by Patsy Canaya

Photos contributed by SFA