Chinese professionals place dome on new tank at Cuban Supertanker Base

MATANZAS, Cuba, Sep 2 (ACN) In a highly precise procedure that lasted just over 30 minutes, teams of Chinese professionals have completed the assembly of the dome for the new 49-1 fuel tank, the first of four currently under construction at the Supertanker Base in the city's industrial zone

Hector Clark Silot, technical head of the Integrated Project Directorate (DIP by its Spanish acronym) for Supertankers in the western province of Matanzas, explained that the procedure constitutes a milestone considering the short time elapsed, from the start of work last March to the installation on Monday of the 74-meter diameter, 68-ton aluminum cover.
Now, the 49-1, with a capacity to store up to 50,000 cubic meters of fuel, will continue its construction phase with the installation of manholes, cooling and fire protection systems, automatic and electrical components, as well as hydraulic testing to verify the tank's tightness, anti-corrosion treatment, exterior painting, and the installation of the pipelines, the specialist explained.

Clark Silot also noted that the tank's functionality will largely depend on the completion of three other tanks, 86, 87, and 88, which, thanks to the efforts of Cuban and Chinese workers, are already showing progress in the city's so-called industrial zone and are expected to be completed by 2026.

The construction of these four new tanks aims to recover the estimated storage capacity of 200,000 cubic meters after the losses caused by the massive fire that broke out at the site in August 2022.

Recently, Manuel Marrero Cruz, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and Prime Minister, reviewed the progress of the construction of the Supertanker Base and highlighted the efforts being made to meet the material requirements in a context marked by the energy crisis on the island.