PSPC on Friday (April 22) broke ground for this facility in Barangay Darong, Sta.Cruz, Davao del Sur.
The Darong Import Facility has a rated capacity of 67 million liters of petroleum products. The project is the third-largest import facility in the PSPC network of terminals which includes the Shell Import Facility Tabangao (SHIFT) in Batangas with a 263-million-liter capacity; the North Mindanao Import Facility (NMIF) in Cagayan de Oro City with a 90-million-liter capacity; and the Subic Import Terminal, northwest of the National Capital Region, with a 54-million-liter capacity.
With the Darong Import Terminal achieving full operational status by the third quarter of 2024, PSPC has plans to establish more than 80 new Shell Mobility sites in Southern Mindanao by 2025. The Shell sites are designed to enhance customer experience, offer both fuel and non-fuel products, enable more forms of transportation, and lower carbon footprint through innovation.
The Darong Import Facility will also help and promote business continuity and stability in the area, providing resources for mobility during incidents of storms, floods, and other natural calamities.
According to Serge Bernal, Pilipinas Shell Vice President for Corporate Relations said the Darong Import Facility will allow them to fulfill their commitment to support economic activities as the Philippines continues to recover from COVID-19.
“It strengthens our capacity to continue to deliver quality fuels to our customers, consistent with our organization growth plans,” Bernal said.
The Darong Import Facility is a 50-50 Joint Venture owned by energy company Northern Star Energy Corporation and the DMCI Construction and Equipment Resources Inc. (DMC-CERI), the leading engineering-based integrated construction company which will be building the facility.
The Sta. Cruz Storage Corporation (SCSC), meanwhile is task to design, construct, and operate the facility for Shell with an exclusive-use arrangement for a term contract with an option to extend.
Santa Cruz Mayor Engineer Jaime G. Lao, Jr., welcomed the establishment of the Darong Import Facility in his community, saying, Santa Cruz is a first-class municipality that is investor-friendly.
Lao cited the good reputation of Pilipinas Shell, DMCI, Northern Star Energy Corporation and the parties associated with the Darong Import Terminal “and they did everything right from the start.
“We look forward to a brighter future for the municipality and our people,” Lao said.
DMC CERI Chairman Isidro “Sid” Consunji also said that the global pandemic has shown us the vulnerability of our supply chains and the need for more resilient infrastructure.
He added that with or without a pandemic, the Philippines needs adequate, continuous and affordable fuel supply to sustain the economy, address poverty and improve the quality of life of its citizenry.
“This fuel depot project (Darong Import Terminal) can bring our country closer to achieving all that,” Consunji said.
DMC CERI President Tulsidas “Das” C. Reyes echoed this optimism and said that once the Darong Import Facility is completed, the fuel storage facility will be one of the biggest and most modern of its kind in Mindanao.
“It will also generate and promote economic activities in the area which is aligned with the belief of DMC CERI in investing in the countryside where it can create the most social impact,” Reyes said.
Meanwhile, Northern Star Energy Corporation, EVP and COO Juan Miguel Delgado said that the Darong Import Terminal is an affirmation of their business approach to move-store-trade.
“For Sta. Cruz Storage Corporation, it marks the start of its engagement in its core business that is both national and international in scope. Our presence here in the municipality of Santa Cruz will help provide Southern Mindanao with access to the highest quality fuel products to support economic activities as the region strives to recover from the pandemic,” Delgado said.
Pilipinas Shell Vice President for Supply and Distribution Kit Bermudez said that Shell believes in the prospects of Mindanao.
“Mindanao is one of the key priority growth areas of Pilipinas Shell. We are witness to how Mindanao is growing, and it is just apt that we provide them with the fuel storage for their growth,” Bermudez said.
Bermudez added that with this project, they also hope to energize the community and create opportunities for growth.
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