Mexican energy infrastructure company Infraestructura Energética Nova (IEnova) has begun commercial operations at its new 2 million bbl refined products terminal at the New Port of Veracruz in Mexico.
The new marine terminal cost US$300 million (€248 million) to develop and will store gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and oxygenating additives. It forms part of a wider logistics project in the central region of Mexico which includes two land terminals in the Puebla and Mexico City areas, linked by rail and tank trucks. The Veracruz terminal will help to meet growing demand for fuels in the region and enhance energy security, by allowing access to international sources of refined products.
The main client of the terminal will be US refiner Valero. It delivered its first consignment of 330,000 bbl of regular and premium gasoline, from one of its Gulf Coast refineries, to the terminal on 1 December 2020 as part of the testing period.
The Veracruz terminal is IEnova’s first to begin commercial operations. The company has six other refined product receipt and storage terminals in Mexico, located in Baja California, Colima, Jalisco, Puebla, Sinaloa and the Valley of Mexico. IEnova was awarded the contract to build the terminal by the Integral Port Administration of Veracruz following a public tender. The company worked closely with regulators, the Veracruz government and other stakeholders in the development of the terminal, which was built with cutting-edge technology and international safety and environmental best practice.
‘We are very proud of the beginning of operations of our refined products terminal in Veracruz, which will allow us to benefit the local economy, as well as helping to ensure energy security for the development, competitiveness and well-being of the country, providing reliable, efficient and safe supply of fuels,’ says Tania Ortiz Mena, CEO of IEnova.