Egypt's Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Karim Badawi has inspected expansion works at Al-Hamra Petroleum Port in New Alamein City. The works, being carried out by Western Desert Operating Petroleum Co. (WEPCO), are aimed at transforming the port into a central hub and logistics zone for storing and handling crude oil and petroleum products on the Mediterranean coast. WEPCO Chairman Ibrahim Massoud said four new crude oil storage tanks are under construction in the northern zone, which will raise total capacity from 2.8 million barrels to 5.3 million barrels. Two tanks are set to be operational by the end of 2025, with the remaining two scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2026. Foundations for an additional four tanks have also been completed. In the southern zone, a fully integrated area for storing, handling, and loading petroleum products is under development with a capacity of 130,000 tons. The first phase, ending this year, includes two diesel tanks, while the second phase, set for completion in the second quarter of 2026, will add six tanks for gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel. The long-term plan targets increasing the port's capacity by 2030 to store and handle 20 million barrels of crude oil and 400,000 tonnes of petroleum products. Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English Subediting: M. S. Salama
