Monjasa expands Panama bunker presence

Danish bunker services provider Monjasa has moved one of its bunker tankers from Dubai to Panama in order to enable outer anchorage bunker supplies off Christobal.

As explained, this will result in significantly less idle time for larger ships taking bunkers in the Panama Canal.

The 8,839 dwt Monjasa Supplier is already in full operation supplying low sulphur marine gas oil (LSMGO) and very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), and for the first time, the Panama Canal now sees feasible bunker only calls at Cristobal’s outer anchorage, according to the company.

“Presenting modern bunkering options is an important contributor to an overall attractive global shipping hub,” Rasmus Jacobsen, Managing Director, Monjasa Americas, commented.

Panama is a great historic shipping destination and as a local partner to the maritime community, Monjasa aims to strengthen operations and evolve the bunker industry by improving tonnage quality and flexibility around the Panama Canal.”

Reducing vessels’ idle time

All ships transiting the Panama Canal from Cristobal to Balboa are experiencing varying waiting time.

However, while smaller vessels can use the time for taking bunkers, larger vessels exceeding inner anchorage restrictions do not have the same opportunity to optimise voyage costs. Instead, they have had to once again drop anchor to refuel upon arrival at Balboa.

Thus, compared to the existing local barge fleet, Monjasa Supplier’s rough weather capabilities are said to make a significant difference to shipping companies by reducing idle time by 24-48 hours.

Monjasa’s bunker fleet in Panama

Against an average age of 32 years and an average size of 3,100-dwt on bunker barges in the Panama Canal, the 2010-built Monjasa Supplier joins its sister vessel, MT Accra, which already operates at Balboa.

Together, they now represent the two largest bunker tankers in Panama, including onboard segregation of several fuel types matching post-IMO 2020 quality demand.

In total, Monjasa manages four vessels in the Panama Canal and currently ranks as one of the largest marine fuels suppliers in Panama.

In 2019, Monjasa supplied a total of 1,150,000 MTS of marine fuels across the Americas.