25 Aug 2006

First shipment of Solomons palm oil to Europe expected soon

10:24 am on 25 August 2006

In Solomon Islands, the first shipment of Guadalcanal Plains Palm Oil Limited or GPPOL crude oil will be made in the next 10 days.

GPPOL's Project Manager, Harry Brock says they will be exporting one-thousand tonnes of crude palm oil to Europe around September 4th.

This is GPPOL's production for the last one-and-a-half months

Mr Brock says the shipment is expected to generate foreign earnings of more than three-hundred thousand US Dollars.

He says by next year GPPOL will be shipping on a monthly basis one-thousand tonnes of crude palm oil to its European market.

Mr Brock says currently GPPOL is employing between 1,500 and 2,000 workers and when fully operational will need further staff.

GPPOL, is a joint venture between New Britain Palm Oil Limited which has a large oil palm operation in West New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea and the Guadalcanal Plains Resource Development Association.