Ngqura’s hub status gets a boost

Transnet’s plans to establish

Ngqura as a regional hub

port have been given a boost

by the announcement that

Aegean has introduced a

bunkering operation in

Algoa Bay, near the ports of

Port Elizabeth and Ngqura.

This follows years

of behind-the-scenes

negotiations and complaints

by the shipping companies

that they could not use

Ngqura as a true hub port

because they had to call on

Cape Town or Durban to

take on bunkers before or

after calling on Ngqura.

Fuel will be stored

offshore in a tanker, with

transfers taking place at

sea. The target market will

be all vessels sailing on the

busy east-west and northsouth

trade routes.

According to a statement

issued by Aegean, the

vessels will be “located

within a few miles

of heavily trafficked

international shipping

lanes.

It is “well positioned as a

natural stopover on routes

to Europe, the Americas,

Asia, Australia and both

coasts of Africa.

“The region includes

eight commercial ports

that are busy conduits for

global trade. Approximately

two million metric tons of

bunker fuel is sold annually

in the region, evidence that

Aegean’s new operations

are located in a robust

market with potential for

growth.

E Nikolas Tavlarios,

President of Aegean Marine

Petroleum Network, said:

“The launch of bunkering

operations in Algoa Bay is

consistent with our strategy

to opportunistically enter

new markets."