Qatar Petroleum has announced its commencement of the supply of Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) at Ras Laffan Industrial City (RLIC) Port, the company said in a statement.
The VLSFO marine fuel offering will take place starting January 1, 2020, ahead of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2020 regulation for a 0.50% global sulfur limit for marine fuels.
“We are proud to be one of the first countries to limit the availability of marine fuels to only grades that are compliant with the IMO’s 2020 regulation for a 0.50% global sulfur limit,” said HE Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs as well as Qatar Petroleum’s President and CEO.
Qatar Petroleum encourages other vessel owners and operators looking for VLSFO at the IMO 2020 to take advantage of the services available at RLIC Port and other ports in the State.
In conjunction with Woqod, Qatar Petroleum has introduced bunkering services in Qatar in June 2017, importing its maiden HFO cargo (RMG 380 CST 3.5% sulfur) to cater to the needs of both Qatargas’s LNG fleet and other vessels in Ras Laffan and the region.
The company has also successfully supplied over 1.5 million tons of marine fuel to RLIC Port from June 2017 through August 2019. This has allowed further servicing for marine fuel at both RLIC Port and other ports in Qatar.
“We hope this (commencement of VLSFO) constitutes a major step towards protecting the regional and global environment in line with environmental objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030,” al-Kaabi said.
