Motherwell Bridge, the Lanarkshire-based engineering contractor, has announced details of a major overseas contract that will involve the building and refurbishment of 19 oil storage tanks in Liberia, West Africa.
The company has secured a three year contract worth in excess of $22 million from the Liberian Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) to build a petroleum products storage facility in the capital city of Monrovia. On completion in 2013, the facility will enable the LPRC to significantly increase the fuel holding capacity of Liberia.
The contract represents a significant strategic investment by the small African country and working in partnership with a number of West African companies, Motherwell Bridge will manage the entire project which is due to get underway in July 2010.
Motherwell Bridge will oversee the refurbishment of 14 storage tanks which have fallen into a state of disrepair, and the design and construction of five new tanks, the largest being 29.4 metres in diameter and 14.8 metres high. They will all hold a range of fuels including kerosene, automotive gas oil and aviation fuel.
Russell Ward, chief executive of Motherwell Bridge, said: “This is a major contract for our storage tank division in terms of value and significance. Securing a contract of this scale in the current climate is a huge boost for our order book and the fact it is over three years, provides a degree of security.
“Motherwell Bridge was once very active in West Africa, so it’s encouraging to be able to return to the region and establish a firm base. The contract will generate a significant number of local jobs and we will be sending out members of our own team to oversee the project which will be completed in phases.
“Now that we have secured this foothold in West Africa, we are currently exploring the possibility of creating a permanent base in Ghana, which we believe would enable us to take advantage of the emerging opportunities in the region’s developing oil industry. We have worked hard in recent years to re-establish Motherwell Bridge as a major player in the UK market, and we are now concentrating on our global strategy which centres on oil, gas, power and energy-based industries.”