Shell to open eight fuel stations this year

The local arm of Royal Dutch Shell plc will open eight new fuel stations in Indonesia this year as part of the company?s expansion in the country?s non-subsidized fuel market, Kontan business daily reported.

External Communication and Social Performance Manager PT Shell Indonesia, Sri Wahyu Endah, said the eight fuel stations would be opened in Jakarta, East Java and in the country?s other major cities.

In Jakarta, Shell would open five new fuel retail outlets, she said, adding that four of them were now still under construction. The construction of the other one still waited the issuance of a permit from the Jakarta administration, she said.

In East Java, Shell would build three more retail outlets, she added. ?Indonesia is a good market. We will build more outlets in the future,? she said.

But, Endah said that the opening of the new retail outlets was not due to the government?s plan to increase the price of subsidized fuel beginning April, this year. ?The opening of the new fuel stations is part of our business agenda,? she was quoted as saying.

Endah refused to unveil the value of the investment for the construction of new outlets. But she said that the opening of a retail outlet will cost about Rp 2 billion.

At present, Shell Indonesia operates 57 retail outlets in Indonesia, 50 in Jakarta and the other seven in Sidoardjo, East Java. Shell also provide a fuel supply for a gasoline station especially built for motorcycles by PT Midi Utama Indonesia Tbk in Tangerang. (*)