14NOV2019 - NEWS - Sinopec plans 100-barge fleet to ship cleaner marine fuel

CHINA'S Sinopec Corp plans to build a fleet of 100 barges over the next three years to supply marine fuel compliant with new global emission standards, said a Chinese shipping executive with direct knowledge of the matter.

In what would be one of the top Asian refiner's biggest shipping investments, Sinopec hopes the fleet will serve its stated ambition to become a top regional supplier of very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO).

To match Sinopec's goal of supplying 10 million tonnes of IMO-compliant fuel next year and 15 million tonnes in 2023, it (Sinopec) must have a fleet of its own," said the executive based in the eastern Chinese port of Zhoushan.