Norwegian-owned firm Odfjell Terminals has halted a project to build a new liquid storage terminal at the French port of Le Havre, because of adverse economic conditions in the French petrochemical industry.
The firm was selected in November 2012 by the Grand Port Maritime du Havre (GPMH) to construct a 200,000m3 facility for the storage of base oils, lubricants and chemicals. But uncertainty in the French and European petrochemical industry meant Odfjell was unable to secure the necessary commitments from customers ahead of a 31 December deadline to proceed further with the €110mn-€150mn ($130mn-$178mn) project.
GPMH has said it will launch a new call for expressions of interest in developing the terminal. An Odfjell spokesman said the company hopes to obtain the customer commitment necessary to renew their involvement in the development.
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