Time out for bunkering around the Panama Canal has been cut with the arrival of a large bunkering vessel.
Fuel supplier Monjasa has sent its 8,839 dwt Monjasa Supplier from Dubai to Panama, enabling outer anchorage bunker supplies off Cristobal leading to significantly less idle time for larger ships taking bunkers around the Panama Canal.
from Dubai to Panama, enabling outer anchorage bunker supplies off Cristobal leading to significantly less idle time for larger ships taking bunkers around the Panama Canal.All ships transiting the Panama Canal from Cristobal to Balboa are experiencing varying waiting time. However, while smaller vessels can use the time for taking bunkers, larger vessels exceeding inner anchorage restrictions do not have the same opportunity to optimise voyage costs. Instead, they have had to once again drop anchor to refuel upon arrival at Balboa.
Compared to the existing local barge fleet, Monjasa claims the rough weather capabilities of its recently deployed ship can reduce idle time by 24 to 48 hours.
“Presenting modern bunkering options is an important contributor to an overall attractive global shipping hub. Panama is a great historic shipping destination and as a local partner to the maritime community, Monjasa aims to strengthen operations and evolve the bunker industry by improving tonnage quality and flexibility around the Panama Canal,” said Rasmus Jacobsen, managing director of Monjasa Americas.
Against an average age of 32 years and an average size of 3,100 dwt on bunker barges in the Panama Canal, Monjasa Supplier (built 2010) joins her sister vessel, Accra, which is already operated by Monjasa at Balboa.
Together, they now represent the two largest and most modern tankers in Panama, including onboard segregation of several fuel types matching post-IMO 2020 quality demand.
In total, Monjasa manages four vessels in the Panama Canal.
