Wajeeh: Bunkering service to commence with customers on Thursday

Maldives Ports Limited (MPL)’s CEO Mohamed Wajeeh states bunkering service will commence in Ihavandhippolhu with customers on Thursday.

The provision of the service is being undertaken by MPL alongside State Trading Organization (STO).

While STO will provide refueling services to the boats, MPL will provide other services included in bunkering service as per Wajeeh. They include 14 services, of which some some are: 

• Pilotage service
• Crew change
• Ship to ship service
• Cleaning drinking water
• Food
• Motor oil change
• Docking service for yachts
• Maintenance service
• Underwater service
• Tug service
• Assistance in case of an accident
• Management of waste accumulated on boats

Wajeeh said MPL is prepared to provide all the aforesaid services which should be provided alongside bunkering service.

“MPL is ready for the aforesaid 14 service. By the will of Almighty, we will begin the provision of these services when bunkering services launched on this month’s 19^th,” he said.

Wajeeh detailed that customers are due at the day of the commencement of the services, adding a 24-hour call center has also been set up by MPL for its services.

Prior to this, Waheed remarked that an oil terminal and oil tanks would be established at Ihavandhippolhu under the second phase of this project.

Two boats will be utilized to provide bunkering service at Ihavandhippolhu, ‘Marine Angel’ and ‘Marine Bella’. Both boats have arrived in the atoll.

Bunkering service was initially planned to commence in July. However, STO and MPL executed an agreement on March 13^th following which the date was moved back.

Minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed earlier said the country's economy will get a significant boost once bunkering services commence.

He previously said that between 300 and 450 international commercial vessels travel across the northern Maldives channel every year. Saeed said providing bunkering services to even one percent of the vessels that traveled the channel would increase the Maldives GDP to USD 400 million in the first year alone.