Adani Exports, a flagship company of the Adani Group, is setting up a Rs 150 crore bunkering facility in Mundra for ships calling at western ports of India. This facility will offer bunkering services at ports of Mundra, Kandla, Sikka, Jamnagar and Vadinar. |
Adani Exports Bunkering Head C P Samaiyar told Business Standard, "The company will acquire two barges of 3,000 metric tonne capacity for Rs 28 crore to supply fuel to ships calling other than Mundra." |
"The barges are expected to join us by early next month. We have put piplelines to Mundra International Container Terminal (MICT) also to supply fuel," he said. |
Industry analysts pointed out that vessels on international voyage fill fuel at Fujairah or Singapore. "Vessels calling Mundra used to divert to Fujairah for filling fuel. For this ships waste additional 12 hours costing them anywhere between $15,000 to $20,000," they said. |
Moreover, if a ship is filling 1,000 tonne of bunker, it will have to load 1,000 tonne of less cargo. Samaiyar said Adani Exports has got an edge of Value Added Tax (VAT) and it is bunkering facility is located in Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which make bunker imports cheaper. |
Adani is planning to sell fuel at internationally competitive rates. At present, the rate for fuel is $290 per metric tonne, down from $340 two weeks ago owing to fall in crude oil prices. |
"We are targeting vessels on international voyage calling ports of western India. We are planning to supply at least 50,000 tonne per month. We have also firmed up plans to set up bunkering facility in Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, Murmagao Port and Kochi Port," he said. |
Industry analysts said there were very few players who supply bunker to ships apart from public sector undertaking oil companies. |
"PSU companies cannot match the international prices. Adani is importing fuel on its own chartered vessel," they said. |
It is learnt that over 2,800 vessels are calling at Gulf of Kutch area. |