India’s Mumbai port is looking to boost its bunker sales with the development of a new bunkering facility at Jawahar Dweep, an island off the coast of Mumbai.
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) have entered into an agreement with Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) to set up the INR500m ($7.5m) bunkering facility at Jawahar Dweep, also known as Butcher Island.
“There is a huge potential for bunkering for the vessels visiting Mumbai port and JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru port) as well as local vessels,” MbPT said in a statement.
The port authority expects the bunkering business in the port areas will grow from 200,000 tonnes to 1.93m tonnes by 2034.
“Mumbai port will be modifying the existing second oil berth at Jawahar Dweep to facilitate berthing of bunkering barges. The tankages at Jawahar Dweep will be refurbished by HPCL and BPCL to create storage facility,” MbPT said.
MbPT added that the bunker fuel will be supplied by different oil companies, and the facility will bring additional business potential in the form of services such as bunker supply barge operations, maintenance and repairs.
Separately, MbPT has taken up the project to construct a fifth oil berth at Jawahar Dweep. The berth will cater to fully loaded suezmax tankers and partly loaded VLCCs.
The new berth, which cost INR8.11bn, is scheduled to come on stream by March 2019.
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