SK Engineering & Construction (SK E&C)'s construction of Ghana's first- ever gasoline production unit has reached its final stage, opening a new page of the company's advance to the world.
Starting the building of the facilities in March, 2000, the company completed construction last November and is currently conducting test operations.
The production line is expected to ultimately churn out 14,000 barrels of gasoline per day, relieving an energy shortage in the country.
Ghana plans to export the surplus gasoline from the facilities to overseas as well, according to a SK official.
``We have been pushing ahead with the project as a measure to modernize the Ghanaian oil refinery industry,'' he said.
Cooperation between the west African country and SK E&C dates back to 1992, when the construction firm began a $12 million petroleum storage depots project.
Since then, SK E&C has stepped up its activities in the country and in 1995, the company started another project, to revamp the Ghana government- owned Tema Oil Refinery.
``With the successful results of these projects, we have been seeking ways to extend our cooperation with the country to serve dual purposes, to promote our brand image in the developing continent as well as to contribute to the modernization process in Ghana,'' the official emphasized.
In fact, the company regards the projects as the leaping board for other foreign markets and an opportunity to develop its construction technology.
``We firmly believe that good quality can result only from good management coupled with cutting-edge engineering technology and project management know-how,'' the spokesman of SK E&C said.
In its bid to move into the world market, the company said that the experience in local market has solidified the company's footing.
In the 40 years since its inception in 1962, the company has developed a distinctive expertise, in constructing industrial plants as well as residential housing units, earning a reputation for the artistic architectural approach to its projects.
The company played a pivotal role in the completion of the main refinery and petrochemical complex of SK Corporation, Korea's largest oil company.
Other major projects on the company's work list included the Seoul-Pusan high-speed railroad, subways in the capital and Pusan, thermal power plants, industrial and residential complexes, underground storage facilities, dredging and land reclamation as well as the development of new harbors.
Bolstering such missions, the company has made strides in developing new markets and expanding its business. SK E&C has so far trodden paths through the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, Columbia, Thailand, Indonesia, China, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates as well as Ghana.
Its other major projects include the construction of an acid gas removal project for the Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) and oil production facilities for Petrobaras in Brazil.
``Driven by the wave of the company' success in the construction industry at home and abroad, SKEC is committed to establishing new business models which will further strengthen the backbone of the company's operation,'' said the official at SK E&C.
