(Ecofin Agency) - Towards reducing the time ships wait at the port as a result of limited storage space, Vivo Energy a leading oil marketing company has decided to open storage tanks with a 14 million oil storage capacity in Mombasa.

According to officials, the expansion is to save the country exorbitant demurrage charges enforced by shipping lines for keeping vessels waiting due to limited storage capacity.

The two fuel tanks, with a capacity of 5 million and 9 million litres at the Shimanzi depot were opened by the company’s Energy Group CEO Christian Chammas and Vivo Energy Kenya managing director Polycap Igathe. The tanks however increased Vivo Energy’s total storage capacity in Mombasa from approximately 10 million litres to 20 million litres a month.

“Additional storage will enable Vivo Energy to support its rapidly growing retail business, which has witnessed a 31 % growth over the last two years. It also increases flexibility to support inland markets like Uganda,” Polycap Igathe told In2east Africa news.

He added that the number of Vivo Energy petrol stations in Mombasa has risen from 110 to 160 and is still to increase to 200 by the end of 2016.