EMEA News
Mauritius Bunker Demand Doubled in 2024 Amid Red Sea Crisis
In 2024, vessels rerouting around Africa due to the Red Sea crisis, coupled with the offshore bunkering shutdown in Algoa Bay, led to a significant surge in bunker sales at Port Louis, Mauritius.
Bunker fuel sales in Port Louis neared 1 million mt in 2024, doubling from 500,000 mt in 2023 and more than triple the 300,000 mt recorded in 2015, Durban-based Linsen Nambi shared in its LinkedIn post from a presentation at Maritime Week Africa, taking place in Mauritius.
VLSFO accounted for 65% of the total bunker sales in 2024, followed by 23% HSFO and 12% MGO.
HSFO share doubled from 12% in 2023, indicating increased demand from scrubber-fitted vessels.
The presentation mentioned that the closure of offshore bunkering in Algoa Bay benefited Port Louis to cater to increased demand from vessel diversions.
Offshore bunkering in Algoa Bay was shut down in mid-September 2023 after the South African Revenue Services (SARS) detained five vessels, including bunker barges, for customs duty disputes.
Ship & Bunker previously reported that offshore bunkering resumed in February 2025.
