Gull is building a 10 million litre fuel tank at its Mount Maunganui storage facility operated by Terminals Limited (TNZ).

TNZ is a member of the Gull group of companies and this expansion represents a major investment for them.

It brings TNZ’s total storage capacity to 88 million litres – the equivalent of about 35 Olympic swimming pools.

Gull New Zealand general manager Dave Bodger says the new tank will make the company’s Mount Maunganui fuel storage facility among the largest in New Zealand.

"The Whangarei refinery will have significant storage, but this build puts us within 15 per cent of the capacity of the oil giant’s terminals in South Auckland."

Dave says construction is due to start in January 2012 employing about 15 skilled workers.

Gull has previously worked with Tauranga firm Page Macrae Engineering and this business is again the tender winner.

"Investing in key assets, such as this new tank, gives Gull efficiencies over our opposition which in the main work with much smaller facilities and so duplicate costs all around the country.

"Modern, economic, state of the art storage enables Gull to keep pump prices low and discount even further when we can, and we’re currently the only ones who consistently give Kiwi motorists that choice."

Dave says investment in infrastructure of this size is also a vote of faith in the Port of Tauranga.

"Mount Maunganui offers a central location for fuel distribution and Gull’s investment is a vote for in favour of the future of the New Zealand service station industry.

"While major oil companies are constantly evaluating their presence in this market, Gull views both New Zealand and Tauranga as a stable and reliable market to invest in."