Russian bunker industry seeks tanker compromise

16 Jul 2008, 12:20 GMT

The Russian bunker industry is fighting to limit the negative impact of the government's unexpected decision earlier this year to ban single-hull tankers in the country by the end of 2008.

A spokeswoman at the Russian Association of Marine and River Bunker Suppliers (RAMRBS) told Bunkerworld they could not comment on developments as they were in "intensive consultations" with the Ministry of Transport. 

Bunker suppliers in Russia have warned that the move, which would bring Russian regulations into line with the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s MARPOL regulations, would paralyse the country's bunker market.

More than 90% of bunker tankers currently operating in Russian waters are said to be single-hulled, and it would be unfeasible to introduce sufficient double-hulled tonnage in the 600 to 5,000 dwt size range by the end of 2008.

RAMRBS recently sent an open letter to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, asking him to intervene and warning that the single-hull tanker ban would have a negative impact on both the Russian shipping industry and Russia's economy as a whole.

"Everyone understands that from one point of view MARPOL regulations should be implemented and from the other it shouldn't produce bad impact on the industry. That means we have to find compromise solution," the RAMRBS spokeswoman told Bunkerworld.  

In the letter to Putin, the RAMRBS suggested that it would take 3-5 years for the country's bunkering fleet to undergo a gradual modernization.

The Association has just started to work out special program of modernization of the Russian tanker fleet together with financial institutes and middle-size shipyards in the country, the RAMRBS spokeswoman told Bunkerworld on Wednesday.

But she added but that this process was only "at the very beginning" and there were no details available yet.

Unni Einemo | Wed Jul 16 12:20 GMT 2008