in-cyprus 17 January 2020 -Edited by Annie Charalambous
EM Island Bitumen Ltd has submitted plans for the construction of an asphalt storage plant in Mari. The value of the ambitious project is estimated at over €1.5 million.
Phileleftheros reports that an Environmental Impact Assessment Study has the plant located next to Vasiliko harbour and that the goal is to receive imported hot mix asphalt, store it in heated tanks and then load it onto contractors’ tankers. The site belongs to the Cyprus Port Authority.
The area is very industrial with no houses nearby. The total area of the allocated plot is 2030 sq. metres and the plant’s construction is expected to take up to six- seven months.
Two heat-insulated metal tanks will be constructed within a concrete wall, along with relevant pipes for ship unloading and loading of asphalt tankers and with accessible tank heating installations. The total capacity will be 7000 tonnes, with a capacity of 35,000 tonnes per year.
The estimated tanker traffic is around 3,000 vehicles per year. An asphalt tanker can carry up to 5000 tons and the route to be taken will be via Greece.The environmental study also notes that the project will ensure the financial supply of a strategic raw material for the country’s economy.
The project’s overall budget is around €1,600,000 with some 50% of the costs covering environmental protection measures. The project will be financed through EM Island Bitumen Ltd’s own resources but also through lending.
At the same time, there are two tanks in the adjoining plot with concentrated sulphuric acid, a material extremely dangerous if combined with asphalt. The report stresses that under normal circumstances there is no danger but that there is a need for effective surveillance of the premises of the two facilities.
And that the uncontrolled mixing of the two materials can only occur after an organised terrorist act or a military conflict.
