Djibouti at a Key Point in Its Development as a Regional Bunkering Centre: Port Authority

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Thursday February 16, 2017

Djibouti is at a key point in its development as a regional bunkering centre, says Aboubaker Omar Hadi, Chairman of the Djibouti Ports and Free Zones Authority (DPFZA).

The comments follow the introduction of a new bunker barge at the port by local supplier Red Sea Bunkering (RSB), with DPFZA saying the move "reflects the sustained and growing demand for bunkering services in Djibouti."

As Ship & Bunker previously reported, RSB launched Red Sea 1 last month in a ceremony that was also attended by H.E Ismael Omar Guelleh, President of Djibouti.

The vessel, a 9,600 DWT double-hull tanker with total capacity of products approximately 10,000 cubic metres (cbm), is said to have been acquired for $4.2 million.

"The purchase of this vessel comes at a key point in Djibouti’s development as a regional centre for bunkering," said Hadi.

"The new LNG and oil terminals being built will further cement the nation’s role as a major refuelling, bunkering and transhipment centre in the region”.

RSB is a joint venture between the DPFZA, which holds a 55 percent stake in the company, and the Dubai-based United Capital Investments Group, an energy and trade investment firm.

In December, a spokesperson for RSB told Ship & Bunker: "Djibouti has now become a strategic bunkering hub in Red Sea Channel for both commercial and military vessels, and Red Sea Bunkering will continue to accommodate various vessels in Djibouti territorial waters."