Africa-Press – Mauritius. A conference aiming to assess the current bunkering trends and highlight the opportunities in the bunkering industry through the participation of several industry professionals, was held on 18 November 2021 at the Ravenala Attitude Hotel, in Balaclava.
The conference, an initiative of the Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA), in collaboration with the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) and Celero, covered several topics including investment programmes, supply solutions, regulations and, maritime emergency preparedness for Ports. Opportunities for bunkering growth in line with the ‘MPA Vision 2040’ label were also outlined at the event.
The Deputy Prime Minister (DPM), Minister of Housing and Land Use Planning, Minister of Tourism, Mr Louis Steven Obeegadoo, the Chairman of the MPA, Mr Sanjeev Ghurburrun, the IBIA Africa Chairman and member of IBIA Board of Directors, Mr Paul Maclons, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Celero Group, Mr Patrice Maury, and other personalities were present on the occasion.
In his opening address, the DPM emphasised the importance of the conference and the opportunities it represents for the country as it showcases Port-Louis as a potential bunkering hub in the Indian Ocean region.
It also provides an ideal platform for leaders of the bunkering community from around the world to discuss the common issues and challenges facing the global industry, he added.
He further indicated that the Government is committed to develop the bunkering business in Port-Louis and, in line with the MPA Vision 2040, the MPA, with the support of the Government has invested heavily in the Port infrastructure to expand and position Port-Louis as a key regional stopover.
On this score, Mr Obeegadoo appealed to bunkering operators to consider expanding their services in Mauritius, as according to him, the country already has a strong, reputable and reliable service industry that can support their operations.
For his part, the Chairman of the MPA highlighted that transforming the Port into a hub for the region and a strong and modern port for the future is in line with the Prime Minister’s vision. The role of the MPA, he added, is to expand and go beyond the borders in order to spread its know-how and develop the regional circular economy.
Mr Ghurburrun joined the DPM in his appeal to private sectors and foreign companies to work and grow with Mauritius as it has strong diplomatic experience in Africa and has participated in several major treaties and negotiations around the continent.
Furthermore, he stressed that the policy of the MPA promotes the continuous assessment of the needs of ship crews, as well as the alignment with their requirements in order to increase interest in Mauritius as a port of call in general.
The strategy, the Chairman underlined, is to position Mauritius as a bunkering hub in the region, given the direct and indirect benefits that increased ship traffic for fuel supply would provide to the country.
The success of the strategy is demonstrated by the growing volume of bunker fuel supplied to ships calling at Port-Louis and the increasing interest of bunker service providers to position themselves at Port-Louis, he said.
As part of its ocean economy strategy, the government aims to increase bunker handling capacity in Port-Louis to 1.5 million tons by 2025, he further pointed out.
As for Mr Maury, he stated that this bunkering conference is more relevant now more than ever with the MPA’s vision and that of the Government to transform Port-Louis into a major bunkering hub for maritime traffic in the region and between East and Central Asia as well as Africa and South America.
It is recalled that the Mauritius Ports Authority, as the regulatory body for port and bunkering activities, has prepared a bunkering code of practice to help ensure the safe conduct of bunkering operations in Port-Louis.
This bunkering code of practice provides guidance for the safe transfer of bunkers and has been developed for the benefit of the ship bunkering industry including ship owners, bunker suppliers and bunker barge operators.
International Bunker Industry Association
IBIA is the voice of the global bunker industry and represents all stakeholders in the industry’s value chain.
Its members include ship-owners/operators, bunker suppliers, traders, brokers, barge companies, storage companies, surveyors, port authorities, credit rating companies, lawyers, equipment manufacturers, maritime journalists and maritime consultants. Set up in 1992, the IBIA now has members in over 70 countries.
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