Asia/Pacific News
India Eyes Singapore, Colombo with Eastern Bunkering Hub
India's Chennai Port has ambitions of growing to become a bunkering hub for the region, attracting traffic that previously would typically only call at Singapore or Colombo, local media reports.
As part of that growth, from last Friday Chennai Port Trust says it has now commenced supplying bunker fuel to ships at anchorage.
"The supply of bunker fuel to ships at anchorage is a business which international ports such as Singapore and Colombo have excelled in. We started this facility with the aim of converting Chennai Port into a bunker hub in the East Coast." B. Vimal, Chennai Port's traffic manager was quoted by The Hindu as saying.
"It also makes sense for international vessels to use the new bunkering facility as they need not have to come inside the port for fuelling alone. It also saves them from paying pilotage, berthing, and wharfage charges and time."
Cyril C. George, Chairman of Chennai Port, says the port's bunkering initiative was undertaken as part of a campaign to improve business efficiency, and is expected to benefit the trade and the port.
"It also makes sense for international vessels to use the new bunkering facility as they need not have to come inside the port for fuelling alone. It also saves them from paying pilotage, berthing and wharfage charges and time," said Vimal.
It is reported that the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (Indian Oil Corporation) has already supplied 1,430 tonnes of 380 CST to the Great Eastern Shipping Company Limited's (GE Shipping's) MT Jag Lakshita, and that HPCL has plans to begin bunker services soon as well.
"Panamx, Capesize, Handimax, VLCC and other types of vessels, which are on their way to nearby ports, needing fuel can call on Chennai Port to avail the bunker facility. This is going to benefit oil firms as it would fetch them foreign exchange," said Y. Leeladharan, Chairman of Chennai and Ennore Ports Steamer Agents' Association.
In January, Ship & Bunker reported that Indian player Adani Bunkering Pvt Ltd. (Adani Bunkering) will be soon developing bunkering facilities at Dahej, Hazira, and East Coast ports of India.
