Lightering vessel ops disrupted in Bangladesh amid fuel shortage

Lighterage operators complained that diesel supply from state-owned depots has dropped to nearly a fourth of the daily demand, delaying the offloading of mother vessels at the outer anchorage and affecting the entire supply chain of industrial raw materials and imported goods.

Lightering vessel operations at Bangladesh’s Chittagong Port have been hit due to a severe fuel shortage triggered by the Iran war.
Diesel supply has dropped to a fourth of the daily demand, delaying the offloading of mother vessels at the outer anchorage and hitting the supply chain of industrial raw materials and imported goods.
Offloading from mother vessels is being prioritised to avoid demurrages.

The Bangladesh Water Transport Coordination Cell (BWTCC), which regulates around 1,200 lightering vessels, the daily requirement for ships booked to offload cargo is nearly 250,000 litres.

Marine fuel dealers, however, are currently providing only 60,000 to 70,000 litres.

Operators said they are trying to prioritise the offloading process from mother vessels to avoid heavy demurrages.

However, once the goods are loaded, the vessels lack sufficient fuel to reach their inland destinations or return to the port for the next shipment, according to domestic media outlets.

BWTCC has written to the relevant ministries seeking an urgent solution, but operators say they are yet to get a response.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)