14MAY2019 - NEWS - Zhoushan aims to be world bunkering center

Zhoushan, an island city of 1.2 million people off the northeastern coast of Zhejiang Province, plans to become a world center for bunkering and other marine services.

A 300,000-ton crude oil terminal on Aoshan Island belongs to Sinochem Xingzhong, one of the largest and oldest oil storage and transportation companies in Zhoushan.

Parallel white and green pipelines deliver oil and water straight from the shore, while a 20-meter loading arm endlessly transfers oil onto bunker barges. These barges go to an anchorage where foreign vessels are supplied with fuel.

In 2018, Zhoushan supplied 3.6 million tons of bonded marine fuel, making it largest bunkering port in China, and one of the top 10 globally. In comparison, Singapore, the number one, provided 50 million tons in the same year. Zhoushan plans to supply 7 million tons in 2020, with a long-term aim of 20 million tons each year.

“We’re saying that we benchmark ourselves against Singapore, but it’s not easy,” said Xia Wenzhong, deputy head of the management committee of the China (Zhejiang) Pilot Free Trade Zone. “We’ve a lot of policy incentives and favorable measures, but there is still a long way to go. ”

In 2017, Zhejiang FTZ was established in Zhoushan and several outlying islands to accelerate reform of the oil and gas industry, and efficiency has since greatly improved. It covers an area of 119.95 square kilometers. Through a paperless single-window declaration system, the time required for customs clearance has been reduced from 16 hours to two hours, and a single bunker barge is now able to refuel multiple ships simultaneously, a procedure not allowed under previous regulations.

Published by Editor - www.Livebunkers.com at 14-May-2019 03:55:55 [UTC] , contact editor at editor@livebunkers.com