UK-based fuel supplier Prax has chartered a bunker barge for low-sulphur marine fuels in preparation for the new sulphur cap from January 2020.
The 1,800 m³ capacity inland bunker barge, Florida, will be based at the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium and is expected to supply fuel compliant with the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) 0.5pc sulphur cap. Prax expects that demand for low-sulphur fuel will increase once regulations take effect from 1 January 2020, and has a long-term contract to supply a large ferry line from Zeebrugge.
With the addition of Florida, Prax now has four bunker barges in total, including one with 2,700t high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) and 600t marine gas oil (MGO) capacity, another with 6,200t HSFO capacity, and one with 2,700t HSFO and 300 m³ MGO capacity.
Prax also expanded its ocean-going bunker tanker fleet on two occasions earlier this year. It acquired the 4,300 m³ capacity ocean-going bunker tanker Andros in June that delivers both marine fuel oil and emission control area (ECA) compliant 0.1pc MGO. In February, it acquired the oceangoing bunker tanker Vadero Highlander, which has a 2,000 m³ capacity to store 0.1pc MGO and is used in the UK and northwest Europe.
Prax also offers bunkers by truck at its UK terminals in Dagenham, Jarrow, Immingham and Cardiff, and supplies in Rotterdam and Antwerp.
