Seafuels, a joint venture company between Ports of Auckland and
Pacific Basin Shipping, welcomed the arrival of a new 80-metre, 3,900
tonne fuel tanker to the Auckland harbour early this morning.
On arrival to Auckland, the ship, its New Zealand captain and crew will
have completed a 12 week, 11,000 kilometre journey from a shipyard in
Tuzla, Turkey.
The tanker, which will be officially named in a ceremony next month,
will provide a new re-fuelling service for cruise ships and commercial
vessels calling at the Port of Auckland.
Seafuels Chairman Jens Madsen said refuelling was an essential facility
for many visiting ships and would benefit the Auckland economy.
“Offering re-fuelling services in Auckland is vital to retaining and
growing the numbers of calls from international cargo and cruise ships.”
He said most cruise ships only carried two weeks of fuel, so the ability
to access re-fuelling services in Auckland was essential.
“The new service is also good news for vessels trading in the Pacific
Islands, as refuelling in the Islands can be expensive and restrictive
at times,” Mr Madsen said.
Mr Madsen explained that the Seafuels tanker would replace the
single-hulled Tolema barge, which would be retired.
The fuel tanks at Wynyard Quarter, which supply the Tolema, would also
be decommissioned in the near future, making way for redevelopment.
“Together, Ports of Auckland, Pacific Basin Shipping and Shell New
Zealand have guaranteed that Auckland can provide a commercial marine
fuel supply for many years to come,” said Mr Madsen.
The tanker, which is owned by Seafuels, is under time charter to Shell
New Zealand. The day-to-day technical operation of the tanker will be
managed by PB Sea Tow, part of the Pacific Basin towage operation.
The tanker has state-of-the-art operational and environmental design
features, including double hull construction, sophisticated alarm
systems and vapour venting capability.
“Like a commercial aircraft, the tanker has two separate engine rooms
and can run with only one of its engines if required. Its Azimuth Stern
Drives also make it extremely manoeuvrable,” said Mr Madsen.
The tanker can hold the equivalent of 25,000 barrels of oil in eight
cargo tanks.
To replenish its fuel supplies, the vessel will call at a new
purpose-built jetty under construction at the Marsden Point refinery. It
will make its first call there in mid-September.
Mr Madsen said the company was pleased to have the ship and its five New
Zealand crew home safely after their lengthy journey through Suez and
the Gulf and Aden.
Pacific Basin Shipping Limited is one of the world’s leading commercial
dry bulk shipping companies focusing in handysize and handymax sectors.
In addition, the Group is building businesses in towage, roll-on
roll-off shipping and maritime services.
Shell Marine Products supplies fuels, lubricants and related services to
more than 20,000 customer vessels, ranging from large ocean-going
tankers to small fishing boats, in around 730 ports in more than 70
countries. Potential customers should contact their local Shell Marine
Products representative fuels team for any future bunkering requirements
in Auckland.
For further information contact:
Catherine Etheredge
Senior Manager – Communications
P: 09 309 1255
E: etheredgec@poal.co.nz
M: 027 477 7501
Megan Hopkins-Stone
Communications Advisor
P: 09 309 1247
E: hopkins-stonem@poal.co.nz
M: 027 221 7126