MANILA, Philippines — The planned P1-billion cement silo of the Sinisian Lemery Batangas Port & Industrial Park Corp. (SLBPIPC) is expected to partially open by the third quarter of this year, expanding the storage and distribution capacity of the family’s cement business in the Philippines.
“The cement silo will partially start in [the third quarter] and [will be in] full operation by [the fourth quarter of 2024],” Jenifer Halili, general manager at the Sinisian Lemery Port, said in a message sent to the Inquirer on Friday.
The massive cement silo inside a seven-hectare property in Lemery would be able to accommodate 60,000 metric tons of bulk cement and slag, according to the port official.
Earlier this week, Ferdinand Co, president of the Sinisian Lemery Port, said they have decided to expand the port into an industrial storage facility to help address the global supply chain disruptions that have affected domestic industries.
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Co said the effects of the supply chain disruption would continue to plague economies globally amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
“We should be ready to provide enough and high-quality cement and slag supply to the [Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon, or Calabarzon] area. Our cement silo facility should help ensure the availability of a major construction material,” he said.
P3-B investments in the port
The cement silo is part of the P3 billion worth of investments within the port, which also has an industrial park and an oil terminal.
According to SLBPIPC, the port has a draft depth of 15 meters and can handle Panamax-sized oil tankers and cargo ships. The Lemery oil terminal, meanwhile, has a storage capacity of over 170 million liters.
The port already has one major oil importer and distributor, Unioil Petroleum Inc, said SLBPIPC.
“After we experienced setbacks during the pandemic, the oil storage and distribution facility will be essential to increase fuel inventory and security,” Co said.
He said it would support increasing demand and improve logistics, particularly in the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, and Southern Luzon.
The oil terminal, which would create at least 200 direct jobs, is expected to start full commercial operations by January next year, according to Co.