South Africa will have low Sulphur fuel available offshore come January 1, 2020.
This was the reassurance from Siyamthanda Maya, managing director of South African Marine Fuels (SAMF), which currently holds three bunkering licences at the ports of Port Elizabeth, Ngqura and Saldanha.
“We are ready to supply 0.5% compliant marine fuels ahead of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Sulphur cap,” she said.
Concerns about fuel availability around the world have been increasing with the Sulphur cap deadline just around the corner.
Maya said bunkering in Algoa Bay would not be disrupted due to the change in fuel. High Sulphur fuel would also still be available for vessels fitted with scrubbers.
“The position of these bunkers in Algoa Bay offers a good value proposition as there is minimal deviation for vessels from the main shipping route and the ability to bunker at anchorage is relatively fast.”
According to Maya, off shore bunkering is increasingly the preferred supply method to service the market as it addresses the two most critical factors for shipowners – cost and time.
