Marine bunkering gathers momentum at Gwadar

ISLAMABAD: Marine bunkering has gathered momentum at Gwadar as Vitol's barge Marine Ista supplied Cnergyico-produced VLSFO to an LNG carrier, boosting Pakistan's credentials in international shipping.

The latest bunkering operation has marked another milestone in Pakistan's efforts to develop Gwadar into a regional marine fuel supply hub. The successful delivery of locally refined Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) to an international LNG carrier demonstrates the country's growing capability to provide bunker fuel to vessels transiting key global shipping routes.

The operation involved Vitol's bunkering barge Marine Ista, which supplied IMO-compliant VLSFO produced by Cnergyico PK Limited, highlighting the refinery's ability to manufacture marine fuel that meets international environmental standards.

The latest supply follows Pakistan's historic entry into the international marine bunkering market when Marine Ista, operated by Vitol in collaboration with Cnergyico and the National Logistics Corporation (NLC), carried out the country's first ship-to-ship bunkering operation at Gwadar. During that landmark operation, around 2,500 metric tonnes of locally produced VLSFO were supplied to the LNG carrier LNG ENUGU, proving that Pakistan could competitively serve international vessels with domestically refined bunker fuel.

Industry stakeholders view the repeat operation as a sign that marine bunkering at Gwadar is moving beyond a one-off achievement towards becoming a regular commercial activity. Consistent bunkering services are expected to attract more international vessels, improve port utilisation and generate valuable foreign exchange earnings.

The development also supports Pakistan's broader strategy of positioning Gwadar as a regional maritime and energy hub while creating new business opportunities for the domestic refining and logistics sectors.

Industry sources said that the regular marine bunkering operations would enhance the competitiveness of Gwadar Port, strengthen Pakistan's presence in the regional shipping industry and reduce reliance on imported bunker fuel by promoting exports of locally produced marine fuels.

With successive successful bunkering operations now completed, industry sources said that Pakistan is steadily laying the foundation for Gwadar to emerge as a recognised marine bunkering destination for international shipping.