FOS FUEL

11/01/2007

Greek company Aegean Bunkering’s new floating storage vessel, the1981 built double-hull tanker Fos, is anchored off the South Mole.

The vessel arrived in Gibraltar on December 28 and will remain in the bay acting as a hub for the company’s local bunkering operations.

It is the second such vessel in Gibraltar waters, joining rival operator Vemaoil’s existing storage vessel, the tanker Vemabaltic.

Both companies use the ships to store fuel that is then transhipped to smaller barges and delivered to customers at anchorage.

Aegean’s new ship underwent a re-fit in a Greek shipyard prior to arriving in Gibraltar Maritime Administration prior to starting operations.

A third locally based company, Bunkers Gibraltar, also has plans to bring a storage vessel to the Rock for use in its bunkering operations.

The shortage of storage space on land is a key issue for local suppliers, which are facing increasing competition from suppliers in neighbouring ports, in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Bunkering operations have drawn significant flack in the past from environmental campaigners on either side of the border.

But both the operators and the Gibraltar Government, which regulates their activities, insist the operations are closely monitored and run to the highest standards.

Gibraltar based suppliers deliver nearly 4m tonnes of fuel a year to passing ships, capitalising on the Rock’s strategic location overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, one of the world’s main maritime chokepoints though which over 80,000 vessels sail each year. Bunkering is the mainstay of the port’s activity and generates substantial business companies across the local maritime sector.

Author: UBI