EMEA News
Call for Second Bunker Barge at Cape Town as "Ageing Shoreside Fuel Lines Cannot be Used"
A South African maritime author and educationist says a second bunker barge would eliminate the problem of "ageing shore side fuel lines" at Cape Town and help attract an estimated 50 vessels that pass through local waters daily.
Writing in the Cape Times Wednesday, Brian Ingpen estimates that each of these vessels has the potential to generate R1 million ($71,660) in revenue, excluding fuel purchases.
The revenue would go to local ports and to "a host of ancillary services, while an increased sustained flow of bunker ships means long-term job creation."
Ingpen argues that "Because ageing shore side fuel lines cannot be used, a second bunker barge in Cape Town will help supply the bunkers quickly and efficiently."
He adds that a regular supply of different grade bunkers combined with guaranteed berthing within several hours of arrival as well as discounted port dues is the recipe for luring vessels.
The author warns that shipping "is an industry of habit" and if a second bunker barge isn't put into operation, "efficiently managed bunker calls at Mauritius or Walvis Bay will encourage owners to send their ships back there, ignoring other benefits offered by South African ports" – including machinery repair facilities and stores.
Earlier this week, two fishing companies complained that the recent removal of Cape Town's pipeline system for bunkering has increased truck-to-ship fuel deliveries, which in turn are causing congestion and increasing the risk of accidents in the harbour.
