Giant traders and shipowners Trafigura and Mercuria have moved their main African bunkering bases to Mauritius because of problems in South Africa.
As more vessels head around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid Houthi missiles in the Red Sea, the groups have set up shop in Port Louis, Reuters reported.
Their refuelling operations in South’s Africa’s Algoa Bay were shut down last year in a tax dispute with the domestic authorities.
Algoa Bay is the country’s only zone for offshore ship-to-ship bunkering using small tankers.
The South African Revenue Service has detained bunker tankers and suspended refuelling operations for BP, Mercuria’s Minerva Bunkering and Trafigura’s Heron Marine pending an audit, sources told Reuters.
TradeWinds has reported that the shutdown was over a tax dispute involving import duties.
That meant vessels going around the Cape have been using Port Louis or Walvis Bay in Namibia instead.
Trafigura confirmed that operations started in Mauritius last month.
The group has set up a venture with local bunkering firm Groupe Roland Maurel.
Demand increasing
“Demand for bunkering services in Port Louis [has] increased in recent months due to the disruption to shipping routes caused by the Red Sea situation,” a TFG Marine spokesperson said.
TFG is the joint bunkering venture set up with John Fredriksen’s Frontline and Golden Ocean Group.
Mercuria has teamed with Engen Mauritius, owned by Malaysia’s Petronas, according to one shipping agent.
The trader and Engen Mauritius have not commented.
