Plans for the Thames Oilport scheme at the former Coryton refinery site remain in place despite the decision to offer a large proportion of the land at Thames Enterprise Park for sale for development.
Up to 403 acres of industrial development land on the Thames has been put on the market, but a spokesman said: “Plans for the Thames Oilport remain under review.”
Thames Oilport is a joint venture between Royal Vopak, Greenergy and Shell UK which in December 2012 took over the the Coryton Oil refinery on the estuary of the River Thames.
Coryton had supplied 20% of London and the south east’s fuel but its owner Petroplus collapsed in January 2012 and it ceased production in June that year.
The partners are converting the refinery into a fuel storage terminal for import and distribution in UK, but the project has been hit by long delays.
Initially it was reported that the first cargo would be delivered to the terminal before the end of the 2013, but since then the partners have said completion of the project has been delayed because the quality of the existing assets at the site was lower than expected and much more would have to be replaced than expected.
However, in Greenergy’s annual report published in August 2014, chief executive Andrew Owens said the deep water jetty at the terminal was crucial as it would allow Greenergy to purchase direct from the lowest cost producers, and he concluded that despite delays the potential of the site exceeded original expectations.
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