EMEA News
Russia Bans Offshore Bunkering at Black Sea Ports
Russia has banned the offshore refueling of tankers in the Black Sea ports of Novorossiysk and Tuapse, Russian industry news site Portnews reports.
The ban, effective September 12, means that bunkering operations are only allowed at an offshore single point mooring No 1A and 1B of Rosneft's terminal at the port of Tuapse and at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) in Novorossiysk.
The ban does not apply to dry bulk vessels.
Russia's Central Energy Customs (CEC) has come under fire in recent weeks for its handling of bunkering rules at Russian ports.
"[B]usinesses, especially the bunkering segment, are in limbo," Vitali Humeniuk of the public organisation OPORA RUSSIA told President Vladimir Putin at a recent meeting, according to another PortNews report.
"Customs authorities set up several requirements, which differ at every checkpoint, like that one that includes a rule saying if the fuel volume supplied exceeds a thousand tone the operation should be carried out only at a pier.
"It does not say when, where and how."
Putin said officials must look into the situation "so that no one would breach anything, but also that there would be no restrictions for entrepreneurship," and he said regulations should be fair to all bunker suppliers.
At the Baltic Sea port Ust-Luga, 23 tankers have also been unable to get bunkers since
of 23 tankers failed to get bunker since the CEC introduced restrictions on August 22, Portnews said.
