Mervielde expands storage capacity by 16 million litres

Mervielde is taking an important step in the further growth of its logistics activities. This weekend, the company received eight voluminous shore tanks at its Seveso site in North Sea Port. These storage tanks for liquids were transported by pontoon over the water from Antwerp and represent a significant expansion of the existing infrastructure.

“This investment underlines the further anchoring of our family business in North Sea Port and strengthens our position as a logistics player within the sector. We continue to focus on innovation and growth to offer our customers the best possible service,” explained Patrick Mervielde, CEO of Mervielde. The N474 currently separates the Seveso site from the Canal Ghent-Terneuzen. Within the foreseeable future, Mervielde will have a water-related site after the rerouting of this regional road. Direct access to the water offers the company the opportunity to organise its logistics activities via inland waterways in the future.

The eight shore tanks are made of stainless steel. Six of them are intended for Oleon and two for Fuji Oil Europe. The six shore tanks for Oleon each have an impressive volume of 2.5 million litres, a height of 18 metres and a width of 14 metres.
“We are delighted that we can put six of the new storage tanks into use at Mervielde from Oleon. This will significantly expand our storage capacity, which will enable us to respond even more efficiently and flexibly to the needs of our customers. We have had a pleasant collaboration with Mervielde for years and are pleased that we can further expand it in this way,” said Lars Milans, Plant Manager at Oleon Ertvelde.

Two of the eight shore tanks are ‘foodstuff only’ and intended for Fuji Oil Europe. These tanks each have a capacity of 460,000 litres. “We are delighted that Mervielde, our good neighbour and logistics partner for many years, is developing specialised storage capacity for Fuji Oil Europe. This investment is an important milestone in our long-term partnership and fits in seamlessly with our future-oriented approach to efficient and streamlined production of food ingredients. It gives us the space to focus on our core activities and their further expansion,” said Jon van den Bremen, Managing Director at Fuji Oil Europe.

The preparation for this delivery took several months. “We are very proud to be able to build this beautiful turnkey project for Mervielde. We offer comprehensive support for both the study and implementation phases. Supplying these storage tanks ready-made is one of our specialties and ensures enormous time savings in the entire project,” commented Jeroen De Bauw, CEO of Ivens. During the construction of the shore tanks on the Ivens site, the foundations, the containment and the steel structure for the pipe racks were constructed on the Mervielde site to ensure a stable connection to the existing infrastructure. The works on the Mervielde site started in May 2024; the sites were made ready for reception in less than 10 months.

The installation of the tanks required specialised equipment, including heavy cranes that positioned the tanks with extreme precision. After installation, an extensive finishing and testing phase follows, during which pipes are connected and safety checks are carried out. The tanks are expected to be fully operational within a few months.