Hong Kong: TOTAL Lubmarine reports it has become the first provider to deliver marine cylinder oil in true bulk to Shanghai. The initial delivery, of Lubmarine's Talusia HR 70 oil, was successfully completed in late May, opening the way for "significant cost- and time-savings for shipowners and shipmanagers calling at the strategic Chinese port", says the company. Demand for marine lubes in Shanghai is said to be growing at over 20% per annum.
Up to now, bulk deliveries of marine lubes have been impossible due to Chinese customs regulations which oblige shipments to be made only in drums, to enable accurate calculation of incoming volumes. Lubmarine has now implemented a system whereby full duty-free bulk deliveries can be achieved.
"Duty-free delivery involves important cost savings by dispensing with the need for drums, which have become very expensive due to increased steel prices and shortages in recent years," explains Caroline Huot, Managing Director of TOTAL Lubmarine Asia Pacific, based in Hong Kong.
"There are also major benefits for operators in the form of speeding up turnaround times," Huot adds. "Vessels calling at major Asian ports like Singapore or Hong Kong now have another cost-effective option at Shanghai, resulting in significant savings in time, now a vital criterion in today's highly competitive shipping industry. We hope to be able to make the bulk delivery option available to other ports in China before year-end." [07/06/07]
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