ENGINE: Algoa Bay bunkering at a standstill as authority detains barges – sources
- Published
by Admin
The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has detained five bunker barges at the Algoa Bay anchorage by Port Elizabeth over alleged illegal bunker operations, multiple sources tell ENGINE.
This has suspended all bunker operations in Algoa Bay. Most of the booked stems have been cancelled, a source says. Two bunker suppliers in the bay have had their barges detained in the bay, two sources say.
Ships have been diverted to other nearby bunker ports, such as Durban, where the average waiting time for bunker-only calls is about 5-6 days now.
Bunker fuel availability is tight in Durban and also in Richards Bay further north on the South African coast.
In May 2022, bunkering was suspended for several weeks after an oil spill in Algoa Bay.
By Nithin Chandran
Photo credit: MarineTraffic / Bernd Bölscher
Source: ENGINE
Published: 19 September 2023
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