EMEA News
Total Marine Fuels Looks to Boost Bunker Volumes With New Barge in Mauritius
Total Marine Fuels (TMF) is looking to boost its bunker volumes in Mauritius with the deployment of a new barge, the supplier's Global Sales and Development Director, Frederic Vazzoler, has told Ship & Bunker.
The Singapore-registered, 2013-built Congo has a capacity of 3,300 metric tonnes (mt) for HFO and 700 mt of MGO.
Vazzoler says it will be the largest bunkering vessel operating from Port Louis.
"Four years ago, bunkers at Mauritius were delivered either by truck or pipe. We launched Minorque after arriving in the market, and now we want to be bigger by changing our logistics and ambitions," he said.
The supplier says it currently has 15,000 mt of onshore bunker storage in Mauritius, and sells between 7,000 and 8,000 mt of bunkers per month with cargoes sourced from the international market through Total Trading.
With the addition of Congo, along with some planned storage improvements, TMF says that will increase to approximately 20,000 mt of storage and expects to lift its monthly bunker sales volume to between 12,000 and 15,000 mt.
"We see a lot of potential at Mauritius and we need to give a real answer to the shipowners," said Vazzoler.
"Mauritius is not a top up spot anymore. A real strategy has to be clearly set up and applied there."
The Singapore-flagged vessel, which is expected to arrive in Mauritius on October 1 and start operations later that month, will also allow TMF to travel to Mauritius' outer port limits for offshore bunker deliveries.
It will also employ Singapore's bunker delivery standards in its operations.
"Total Marine is enhancing its global supply and worldwide presence by chartering this brand new bunker barge and qualified crew members," says Vazzoler.
"At any one time there are around 1,600 vessels cruising around South Africa, with two-thirds of those vessels between Madagascar and Mauritius.
"I see good opportunity in this and it's time to apply what we have done off west Africa in the past proposing reliable offshore services."
Earlier this month the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) announced that next month it will host an event to explore new business opportunities for bunkering in Mauritius.
