SubscribeSkytanking Holding GmbH and Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH (FSG) today announced the signing of a contract for the construction and operation of the new aviation fuel storage facility at Stuttgart International Airport.
FSG announced its decision to appoint Skytanking after a Europe-wide tender process and a rigorous appraisal of tender submissions from each bidder. Before signing the contract, Skytanking had to show that it is capable of meeting all the requirements concerning financing, engineering, construction and operations.
Competition Due to 'Open-Access' Fuel Supply Infrastructure
In order to maintain competition between jet fuel suppliers and to keep Jet A-1 prices as low as possible FSG specified in the tender that the jet-fuel supply infrastructure is to be 'open-access'. Therefore the fuel storage system is available to any qualified fuel supplier on identical commercial terms.
Accordingly, Professor Fundel, Managing Director of Stuttgart Airport, commented "Due to intense competition among airports, lower costs for fuel supply and fuel logistics are increasingly becoming an important competitive advantage".
BOOT- Build, Own, Operate, Transfer
The so-called 'BOOT'-contract will run over 30 years and is the first of its kind to be used at a German airport for a fuel project. 'BOOT' stands for Build-Own-Operate-Transfer and is a commonly-used contractual structure for infrastructure projects that is also becoming popular with airports that need new fuel facilities.
It allows the airport to outsource the financing, design, construction and operation of the facilities to an independent specialist in aviation fuelling, like Skytanking. At the end of the 30-year contract, the facilities will be transferred to airport ownership.
"We are delighted that FSG has chosen Skytanking as its partner for a long-term project of such strategic importance", said Christoph Lindke, Business Development Manager of Skytanking. "The award of this contract highlights the fact that Skytanking is one of the few companies in the world with the technical expertise and financial resources to undertake this kind of BOOT project".
Fuel Storage Systems, Into-Plane Fuelling - One Point of Contact for the Airport
The new aviation fuel facilities will be operational from 1st of January 2009. Besides building and operating the new facilities, Skytanking will also provide into-plane fuelling services to oil companies and airlines operating at Stuttgart Airport. Skytanking Holding GmbH is the aviation fuelling service division of Marquard & Bahls AG, Hamburg and handles 4.6 billion litres of aviation fuel per year at 18 airports in Europe and the USA.
Skytanking provides a full range of services including building, owning and operating aviation fuel facilities and providing into-plane services to airlines, airports and oil companies. Marquard & Bahls AG group companies also include Oiltanking and Mabanaft. Oiltanking is the second largest independent storage provider world-wide for petroleum products, chemicals and gases.
Oiltanking owns and operates 71 terminals in 21 countries in Europe, North and South America and Asia and has an overall storage capacity of 11.9 million cubic metres. Mabanaft is a leading independent oil importer and wholesaler in Northwest Europe and the East coast of the USA. In 2006, Mabanaft has reached a total sales volume of 21 million tons.
Walter Schoefer, MD of Stuttgart Airport Professor Fundel, MD of Stuttgart Airport Paul Workman, MD of Skytanking Holding Christoph Lindke, Manager Business Development of Skytanking Holding GmbH
Hamburg, January 31st, 2007
