Brazilian energy company Petrobras has received authorization to sell marine fuel by barge to vessels bound for foreign destinations at Brazil's Port of Suape.

The approval allows the firm's bunker division to supply bunker products to export-bound vessels at Suape using barges, the company said in a customer note issued on Thursday.

"We would like to inform you that we have received authorization to sell products for vessels bound for foreign destinations (exports) via barge at the Port of SUAPE," the notification said.

The approval expands Petrobras' barge supply at Suape to vessels bound for foreign destinations. The Port of Suape is located in Pernambuco state in northeastern Brazil, where it serves as one of the region's main industrial and container ports.

Barge-based bunker delivery is a common approach at ports where vessels cannot be fueled efficiently alongside the berth, and extending such supply to export-bound ships can matter for operators deciding where to stem fuel on international routes, since bunker availability and pricing are key considerations in voyage planning.

Petrobras supplies bunker fuels across various ports in Brazil. Earlier this month, the company announced that it is ready to supply VLSFO (very low sulphur fuel oil) and LSMGO (low sulphur marine gas oil) via barge at the Port of Suape for berthed vessels. These are the main compliant fuel grades used by ships operating under the IMO 2020 regulation, which caps sulphur content in marine fuels at 0.5%.

Source: Ship & Bunker