Connect with us

Business

China: Structural and operational upgrades lead to 15% increase in bunker sales at Zhoushan port

Changes include abolishing advance declaration of bunkers as dangerous cargo, reducing pilotage fees on vessels receiving bunkers, and a ‘whitelist’ system for bunker tankers.
Admin

Published

6 years ago

on

Zhoushan 4

The Zhoushan Bonded Marine Fuel Association on Saturday (9 January) reported bonded bunker sales at Zhoushan totalling 4.724 million metric tonnes (mt) in 2020, translating to 7,517 vessels receiving bunkers and a 15.14% year on year increase compared to 2019. 

The association attributes the port’s performance to the following factors:

  • Government preferential support policies and innovative regulatory measures for various departments to be able to coordinate simultaneously in order to resolve any issues that could arise during the bunkering process.
  • The maritime department abolished the advance declaration of bunker as dangerous cargo, integrated the management of each anchorage to reduce the waiting time for vessels, reduced pilotage fees on vessels receiving bunkers, created a “whitelist” system for bunker supply tankers and put into service “Zhoushan type” bunker vessels.
  • The commerce department revised taxation and regulatory measures such as export and tax rebate policies to support the physical supply business and the implementation of bunker fuel futures deliveries.
  • At the end of the year, various departments worked together to develop a more convenient custom clearance “refuel and go” model for large vessels.

The association also published the following as the key highlights for 2020:

  • The four main anchorages of Tiaoqimen, Xiazhimen, Mazhi and Xiushan have provided fuel to 2,405 vessels on international voyages, with a fuelling volume of 1,866,400 metric tonnes, accounting for 39.5% of the port’s total fuel supply.
  • In recent years, 21 new bunker fuel anchors have been added to anchorages such as Xiazhimen Anchorage, Mazhi Anchorage, Aoshan Joint Inspection Anchorage, Xiushan Anchorage and Tiaoqimen Outer Anchorage, covering the southern, central and northern parts of the Zhoushan port area.
  • The electronic Anchorage Service Bunker Delivery System 2.0 platform was put into operation at the outer port limit. The system is supported by big data to provide international customers with a better service guarantee and efficiency.
  • The number of bunker supply licenses at Zhejiang Free Trade Zone has continued to increase and operations now include cross-port bunkering operations with the Port of Shanghai. 
  • After witnessing positive results from its preferential policies in 1H 2020, the government granted export licenses to private refineries. It then regularly held conferences and special meetings with bunker supply companies and oil trading companies to facilitate trade, ensure supply and tap on large orders.
  • As of the end of December 2020, bunker fuel exported from local refineries accounted for 1.2 million mt (25%) of Zhoushan’s supply. Refineries within Zhoushan account for 560,000 mt of bunker fuel.
  • The customs and maritime authority have accelerated customs clearance procedures for fuel oil imports at Zhoushan Port. 
  • Various innovative regulatory measures such as oil blending, futures delivery, and transfer of bonded fuel in the warehouses have been put in place to make trade more adaptable to the different needs of bunker traders in the Zhejiang Free Trade Zone.

 “As 2021 remains uncertain, it is necessary to continue to maintain our strengths, adhere to international benchmarking, continually innovate, and strengthen the joint development of the Yangtze River Delta, in order to strengthen the comprehensive supporting capabilities of our maritime services,” said the Zhoushan Port Comprehensive Protection Zone Management Committee in a statement.

“We will continue to strengthen the protection of our oil resources, promote the normalisation of blending business, and expand the delivery of fuel oil futures. 

“In order to achieve these goals, we will have to improve our infrastructure which will include the formal use of the Qushan and Luhuashan anchorages, and commence the night-time bunker supply services at the Tiaoqimen anchorage. 

“We will also promote cross-port fuel supply operations and make every effort to reach the 6 million mt bunker sales target set by the government for 2021.”

Zhoushan 1

Zhoushan 2

Zhoushan 3

Zhoushan 5

Related: Shanghai INE inks agreement with PetroChina for LSFO futures overseas delivery
Related: Shanghai and Zhoushan port complete first cross-port bunkering operation
Related: First bunker tanker purpose-built for Zhejiang Free-Trade Zone begins fuel delivery ops
Related: China to grant export quotas for refined oil products to private refineries


Photo credit: Zhoushan Bonded Marine Fuel Association
Published: 11 January, 2021

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

Admin

Published

4 hours ago

on

July 21, 2026

By

RESIZED Sora Shimazaki on Pexels

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July). 

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions. 

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Related: Singapore: Hin Leong Founder OK Lim gets jail term slashed to 13.5 years

 

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

Continue Reading

Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

Admin

Published

4 hours ago

on

July 21, 2026

By

RESIZED Drew Beamer

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

  • That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

  • that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
  • that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
  • that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd. 

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Related: Singapore: Director declares Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping’s inability to continue business
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping in court over DBS Bank bunker tanker loan
Related: Singapore: Bunker tanker “Coastal Neptune” arrested
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping, Coastal Logistics tankers enter S&P market

 

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

Continue Reading

LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Admin

Published

4 hours ago

on

July 21, 2026

By

PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

Continue Reading

Trending