The Hambantota International Port (HIP) has
received FSS certification (Fitness for Service) for their tank farm
facility. The certification was issued by Lloyd’s Register (LR), the
World’s leading provider of classification, compliance and consultancy services
to marine and offshore industries. This is a landmark achievement that
will further strengthen the HIP brand in the maritime world.
The port was awarded Lloyd’s certification,
after a comprehensive approval process and an impartial third-party assessment.
The entire process was handled by HIP’s Department of Energy Services who
worked with Lloyd’s Register Marine & Offshore Asia LLP, in achieving the
recognition.
Located just 10 nautical miles (19 km), from the
world’s busiest maritime route linking Europe and Asia, HIP’s fully functioning
tank farm facility for bunker fuel supply, provides a huge advantage to the
vast number of vessels plying this route.
The high performance in bunkering volumes
handled by HIP last year, underpins the potential the
port has for this business. Johnson Liu, CEO of Hambantota International
Port Group (HIPG) says the recognition by a trusted International organisation
like the Lloyd’s Register, will not only strengthen the confidence the international
maritime community has in the port, but will also help boost Sri Lanka’s oil
and gas industry. “As we enter the new year, we are confident that we
will see phenomenal growth rates not only in bunkering but also in other
services offered by HIP. As much as we see the importance of safety
protocols being maintained to the highest standards within the port, we are
also confident that our efficiency in delivery continues to improve. It
is the combination of all these factors that fuel our growth,” says the
CEO.
There were two phases to the oil tank
refurbishment project undertaken by HIPG. Both phases, i.e. the oil
storage terminal and two oil jetties have been awarded FFS Certification by
Lloyd’s. The storage network has 11 tanks, associated pipelines and 8
loading/unloading arms of two jetties, which are all included in the
certification. Currently HIP has a maximum storage capacity of 51,000 m3 for Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) and 23,000 m3 for Marine Diesel Oil (MDO), held in utmost safe conditions,
verified by Lloyds.
The certification is in line with HIP’s
objective of providing bunker fuels and related products that are compliant
with international maritime organisation (IMO) standards. The IMO
introduced a 0.5% m/m (mass by mass) Sulphur cap on bunkers for ships operating
outside emission control areas in January 2020. With this regulation, the use
of VLSFO will see a considerable increase in comparison with HSFO (High Sulphur
Fuel Oil).
