BPCL sets up international bunkering facility at Kochi port

Kochi: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd has commissioned its international bunkering facilities at the Kochi port on Wednesday to offer international bunkering of furnace oil at competitive rates.

The facility was launched jointly by Mr Stefan Herde, Managing Director, Matrix Bharat Marine Services Pvt Ltd, Singapore, Mr N. Ramachandran, Chairman, Kochi port, and Mr D.M. Reddy, ED (I&C) BPCL, at the south coal berth in Willingdon Island.

The first exclusive international bunkering terminal of BPCL was inaugurated at the JNPT in May.

To establish a pan Indian footprint, the company has plans to start similar initiatives across all the other major ports.

The company is commissioning a dedicated barge loading jetty at their Irumpanam installation shortly to cater to the coastal vessels at Kochi.

BPCL has partnered with Mabanaft Gmbh & Co – pioneers in international bunkering – having their presence worldwide through a joint venture company Matrix Bharat Marine Services Pte Ltd.

BPCL will be able to leverage its international expertise in bunkering and scale up volumes significantly in Kochi.

This will also benefit the port and international vessels calling at the Kochi port and the upcoming Vallarpadam container terminal.

The traffic at the port is bound to grow exponentially resulting in significant bunker volumes in view of the of the port’s geo strategic advantages of close proximity to international shipping routes as well as the up-coming mega projects, a press release said.

Source: The Hindu Business Line, July 22, 2010