China: Shenzhen approves Hengli Group to conduct bonded bunkering operations

Hengli Group recently obtained approval to conduct bonded bunkering operations for international ships in Shenzhen, becoming the first private enterprise in Shenzhen to obtain this qualification, according to the Commerce Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality. 

So far, a total of six companies in Shenzhen have been approved to engage in bonded bunkering for ships, with a total bunkering volume of over 1.4 million metric tonnes (mt).

In October 2020, Shenzhen was authorised for bonded bunkering operations and the bonded fuel supply market was further eased and standardised. 

In order to further deepen the reform of the operation and management of bonded bunker fuel, the Municipality issued the “Measures of Shenzhen for Administration of Bonded Oil Operations for Vessels Engaged on International Voyages”, in July 2024. The measures put forward 27 work requirements in terms of qualification management, business norms, supervision and management, further optimised the application procedures, and simplified the approval process. 

In the following month, Hengli Fuel Oil (Shenzhen) Co Ltd was registered and established in Shenzhen.

A spokesperson of Hengli Group said the nature of Shenzhen’s relevant policies can greatly reduce the overall operating costs of enterprises. 

“We are more confident in taking root in Shenzhen and growing bigger and stronger,” the spokesperson said. 

Hengli Group said that Shenzhen has three significant advantages in developing bonded bunkering for ships.

First, it has the advantages of port resources. Shenzhen Port has been the world’s fourth largest container port for 20 consecutive years. Its international container liner routes connect to more than 300 ports in more than 100 countries and regions, and the demand for bonded fuel for ships has huge potential. 

Secondly, it has a conducive business environment with Shenzhen continuously optimising government services and built a “one-stop” information system for bonded fuel oil, which has greatly improved the efficiency of management services. 

And lastly, it has a complete industrial agglomeration advantage. Relying on the strong foundation of the petrochemical industry belt along the Pearl River Delta coast, it can quickly connect with refining and petrochemical resources to achieve the integration process from raw materials to production to bunkering. 

A spokesperson of the Commerce Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality said that in the future, the bureau will build a bonded bunkering supervision system platform for international ships based on the “one-stop service” information system, strengthen cooperation and integration with relevant regulatory units, and accelerate the advancement of large-scale operations.

Photo credit: Oskar Kadaksoo on Unsplash
Published: 27 May, 2025