The Edson Queiroz Group, owner of Nacional Gás, Copa Energia, controller of Copagaz, and a global storage partner, will invest R$ 1.2 billion in a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) storage terminal at the Port of Suape, in Ipojuca, Pernambuco.
The terminal will feature an infrastructure of 90 thousand cubic meters of storage in tanks, in addition to the implementation of pipelines to move the raw material and make logistical connections. The differential lies in the unprecedented technology in Brazil, where the gas is stored refrigerated, occupying a reduced volume and thus increasing the storage capacity, which currently, in the Northeast, is only four days of supply.
Annually, the terminal, which covers 60 thousand square meters, will accommodate 1.5 million tons of LPG. The announcement was made by the president of the Edson Queiroz Group, Carlos Rotella, in a meeting with the governor of Pernambuco, Paulo Câmara, last Wednesday, July 14th.
With the start of operations, the storage terminal is expected to put the Northeast in a new situation of autonomy in LPG supply. Today, Brazil faces a fuel deficit, as it does not produce all it consumes, thus importing gas from the US, the Middle East, and Africa. The Northeast is the most affected region since the country’s main refineries are located in the South and Southeast regions.
The new facility already has major customers lined up, including Nacional Gás, Copagaz, and Liquigás, which are expected to consume about 70% of the business volume. “The terminal will be available for other distributors to import the fuel directly, benefiting from our infrastructure. This way, they will have more agility, security, and technology at their disposal,” explained Carlos Rotella, president of GEQ.