Mangaluru, Karnataka: The New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) on Tuesday signed an agreement with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, Bengaluru, for providing bunkering facilities to the ships visiting harbour and ships at anchorage/offshore at the port for five years.
Bunkering is a facility to supply fuel for use by ships. It includes the shipboard logistics of loading fuel and distributing it among available bunker tanks.
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"The port had aimed to provide all the required facilities to the shipping community in general and for the port users in particular in a phased manner. NMPT explored the possibilities of improving the facilities in the service sector, especially in the area of shipping and in line with the guidelines and directives received from the Ministry of Ports Waterways & Shipping.
Based on the present policy of the central government, NMPT initiated action to identify infrastructure projects and found that the bunkering facilities for catering ocean-going vessels and coastal vessels etc. if, established in this port, will have enough potential since the port is located on the main trunk route.
Considering the strategic location of the port among the international sea routes, it is possible to provide bunkering services to ships within the port area connected to all berths and also those anchored outside the international waters," a communique from NMPT stated.
After the formal contract agreement, the expected minimum cargo to be handled will be 90,000 MT annually, the communique said.
Dr. A. V. Ramana, Chairman, NMPT witnessed the agreement-signing along with Dy. Chairman, senior officers of the Port, Debabrata Mukherjee, GM – Institutional Business, V Jagadeeshwara Rao, Manager – Institutional Business were present at the juncture.
