BP opens new Channel bunker facility

Located at Portland Harbour on the English south coast, what has been declared as the most advanced bunkering facility in the UK commences service on the 10 March, offering shipping an important new ?weather-sheltered? fuelling option within easy reach of main shipping lanes in the English Channel.

Portland Bunkers International (PBI) has collaborated with BP Marine to provide at-anchor and port-side marine fuelling services, following a major £4.5 million refurbishment of the former naval bunker facilities at Portland harbour. BP will supply fuels and support services while PBI, a subsidiary of the Greek construction company DIEKAT S.A., will manage the on-site operations.

After a century of naval use the site was vacated by the MOD in 1995, leaving possibly the best marine fuelling location on the south coast, due to the level of protection from adverse weather conditions within the inner harbour at Portland and favourable prevailing winds. This is expected to enable bunkering to take place when weather conditions made such operations impossible at other South coast locations.

The facility will offer of two dedicated anchorage areas, one located in the Inner Harbour and the other in the Outer Harbour which can serve vessels up to 19 metre draught. Deliveries by barge will be provided by the 2,500 tonne capacity double-hulled Brabourne.

PBI have built a new 200 metre jetty specifically designed to receive tanker deliveries, located at the inner breakwater of Portland Harbour, which can accommodate ships up to 48,000 tonne displacement. Alongside this, a major refurbishment of the existing berth has been completed to provide a secondary transfer location. This will allow bunker barges to take on fuels when either a tanker or another bunker barge is moored at the new jetty.

Initially marine fuel oil and marine gas oil will be supplied, with the introduction of low sulphur fuels planned well in time to meet new regulations in 2006/07. Fuels will be stored in 4 newly refurbished underground storage tanks, each 300 meters long and each holding 40,000 litres. These tanks, located to the south-east of the port, were built by the Navy in 1940?s and used for the secure storage of the same products. Their reuse has avoided need to construct a surface located tank farm, which has considerably contributed to the operation?s minimal environmental impact. A new pipeline to feed the tanks follows part of the route earlier used by the Navy between the tanks and the new jetty.

BP is also intending to offer ships a waste removal service, including a Marpol liquid waste disposal service. This additional environmental service is planned to start in May.