Monday
June 30, 2003
TOTAL Ethiopia to expand
aviation depot
Changes its
emblem
By Groum Abate
TOTAL Ethiopia is expanding its aviation depot facility with an
estimated three million dollars outlay, to be completed in 2004.
Mr. Momar Nguer, TOTAL’s Refining & Marketing Overseas Executive
Vice-President- East Africa, Indian Ocean, told Capital that the
project will expand the storage capacity by 1.8 million lt. from the
existing 1.2 million lt. increasing the capacity to 3 million lt. It
will also double the capacity of the depot in terms of loading and
unloading fuel, and put in one additional re-fueler to the existing
three at an estimated cost of one million Birr.
According to Momar Nguer, the construction of the project started
three months ago and is expected to be completed by October 2003.
Furthermore, TOTAL plans to construct a hydrant system re-fueler for
the first time in the country. The system, which enables refuel planes
from underground tankers instead of trucks, would make the processes
much easier and safer. The hydrant system would however not be
installed until 2004. The aviation depot was first set up in 1998 with
an initial investment of about 16 million Birr.
According to the executive vice-president TOTAL is also planning to
launch new products to Ethiopia’s market before mid of next year.
Capital learned that the company will open six stations in the next
three months in regional states and here in the capital. These new
stations would be opened in Gode, Addis Ababa (by the Ring Road) and
Harar. Mekele and Axum are also in the plan. This addition will
increase the total number of TOTAL stations in the country to 128.
Every year, TOTAL has been including six more stations in its realm
for the last couple of years. However, refusing to comment on the
Shell buyout of Agip, Momar Nguer said that TOTAL was not interested
in buying Agip. But he said, TOTAL has plans to continue its business
on the continent and will try as far as possible to be present in all
African countries. Talking about Ethiopia, he said “We have been here
for the past 50 years and we will be here for the next 50 years
definitely.”
According to Momar Nguer, Ethiopia is in fifth place in TOTAL’s Africa
fuel supply market in terms of volume, together with Kenya, Senegal
and Cameroon. South Africa and Nigeria holding the first place, and
Morocco coming second.
In related news, TOTAL has officially changed its logo as of May 7,
2003. In an exclusive interview with Capital Mr. Alain Champeaux
Chairman & CEO of TOTAL Outre-Mer said that the new logo is the
expression of a new group TOTALFINAELF, which was renamed as TOTAL,
and its future. Its emblem features the global reach of its
activities, involvement in multiple energies and the objective of its
business, which is to bring warmth and movement to the world.
The TOTAL logo was actually quite old and now fusing with FINA
(Belgium) and ELF (French) companies, a new logo that incorporates the
colors of all the three was considered suitable, he said.
Capital learned that though officially launched, the new logo is in
the process of registration and verification.
The signboards and emblems in all TOTAL stations would also be changed
before mid-next year.
