Cruise ship ‘Navigator of the Seas’ calls at Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port
The cruise ship ‘Navigator of the Seas,’ under the agency of Prudential Shipping, has reportedly called at the Hambantota International Port (HIP) to receiving the facilities of bunkers, marking another significant milestone in the diversity of the vessels calling HIP for bunkering.
According to reports, bunkering is an important part of HIP’s energy services portfolio and different categories of vessels calling at the port for this service is another step in the port coming closer to establishing itself as a strategic bunker supply location on the main East West shipping route.
This vessel is also the first passenger vessel to arrive at the port since the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic.
The vessel, sailing under the Bahamian flag whose last port of call was Port Said, Egypt, is en route to Yeosu, South Korea.
HIPG COO Tissa Wickramasinghe has been quoted as saying that the port had already launched the wholesale supply of marine bunker fuels.
“In order to further develop HIP as a competitive marine bunker supply location, we entered into a strategic partnership with Sinopec Fuel Oil Lanka Ltd. (SFOL) to provide bunkering services as a wholesale exporter and also service vessels calling HIP as a value-added service. Sinopec with its vast resources guarantees the supply of VLSFO in Hambantota currently and MGO in the near future, enabling the port to service all vessels plying the principal sea route in the Indian Ocean.”
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s Hambantota Port continues to show a growth momentum in it’s maritime business with bunkering services taking the lead. The country’s geographical positioning in the Indian Ocean and the many trade agreements as well as trade concessions enjoyed by the country have further boosted Sri Lanka’s maritime industry. The government of Sri Lanka is also focused on developing the country as a maritime hub in the South Asian region. Given the continuous growth momentum shown by Sri Lanka’s maritime industry, foreign businesses/investors could explore opportunities in the industry. Also, the bunkering business is likely to see further growth once Sri Lanka proceeds with the proposed oil and gas exploration programme.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/12082021/Z_6 |