Minerva wants to attract 8k ships for bunkering in first phase of Suez Canal operations: Bunkering service provider Minerva Bunkering aims to attract some 8k ships in the first phase of its bunkering services in the East Port Said and Ain Sokhna ports, Al Mal reports, citing sources it says are in the know. The average cost of the bunkering services is USD 120k per day, the sources said.

The details: Minerva will add more fuel barges to its units in the ports, targeting five units — three north of the canal and two in the south — before the end of June, the sources told Al Mal. The Suez Canal Economic Zone also aims to have Minerva provide refueling services worth 3.5 mn tons of fuel for ships crossing the canal within its first year of operations, they added. The SCZone will supervise and manage the services.

Background: The Suez Canal granted one-year bunkering licenses to Coral Energy, Minerva Bunkering, and Peninsula last year through a tender. Two of the licenses are on the Red Sea, while two others are on the Mediterranean. The SCZone first announced plans to launch the new marine services back in January, as part of its 2020-2050 strategy.

Still to come: Peninsula is also setting up shop up north near the Mediterranean sea to provide bunkering services within a few days, the sources also said.

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