Petrobras Launches Barge Bunker Deliveries at the Port of Suape
Key Takeaways
- •Petrobras is now equipped to supply VLSFO and LSMGO via barge at the Port of Suape in Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil.
- •The company completed two successful barge bunker deliveries to its own vessels after receiving final operational licenses.
- •Barge bunker deliveries at Suape are restricted to berthed vessels because the port does not have an inner anchorage.
- •Prior to this launch, Petrobras supplied bunker fuel at Suape exclusively through pipeline infrastructure.
- •VLSFO and LSMGO are the primary compliant fuel grades under the IMO sulfur cap regulation that limits sulfur content in marine fuels to 0.50 percent.
Brazilian state energy company Petrobras has announced that it is now fully prepared to supply Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) and Low Sulfur Marine Gas Oil (LSMGO) via barge at the Port of Suape, located in the state of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil. The service is currently available only to berthed vessels.
The company confirmed in a customer note issued last week that it has already completed two successful bunker deliveries to its own vessels following the issuance of final operational licenses.
"This represents an important expansion of our supply network in Brazil," Petrobras stated in the note. "Following the issuance of our final operational licenses, we have already completed two successful deliveries for our own vessels, confirming the quality and reliability of our service."
Petrobras noted that barge bunker deliveries at Suape are limited to berthed vessels because the port lacks an inner anchorage. Off-port-limits anchorage deliveries are not available.
Prior to this development, Petrobras supplied bunker fuel at Suape via pipeline, according to information on the company's website. The introduction of barge delivery capability marks a logistical upgrade for marine fuel supply at one of Brazil's key industrial and shipping hubs, as barge operations allow vessels to refuel alongside cargo-handling activities without relying on fixed pipeline infrastructure at specific berths. Suape is among Brazil's largest ports by cargo throughput, handling containers, bulk solids, liquids, and gas, and serving as a major entry and exit point for trade in Brazil's Northeast region.
VLSFO and LSMGO are the two primary compliant fuel grades used by the global shipping industry under the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) sulfur cap regulation, which took effect in January 2020 and limits the sulfur content of marine fuels to 0.50 percent. The rule reshaped global marine fuel demand, making reliable supply of these grades at major ports a baseline operational requirement for shipping lines calling in Brazil.
Source: Ship & Bunker