In Pearl River Delta of South China, Donguan’s Humen Port in Guangdong Province will officially bring online two 50,000-DWT multi-usage berths at end of May. Although these two berths aim to develop the port’s inner and international-trade container and general cargo businesses, the port’s bonded bunker trading probably won’t be boosted by much, C1’s investigation found.
The new berths will bring on stream new near-sea shipping routes and Taiwan routes within 2011. However, if these new routes also dock in Hong Kong or South Korea, South China bonded bunker suppliers won’t have any advantages in terms of price or service. In fact, both Nanhai Fengshun Shipping Co Ltd (transliteration) and COMTRANS expressed that they would dock in Hong Kong, and bunkering activities will be basically carried out there, sources with the companies told C1.
Furthermore, possibly long customs transit time will limit ship owners’ refueling demand. Although Humen Port voiced that it will compress transit time to half an hour, this was doubted by one Guangzhou-based bonded bunker player. “Nansha Port in nearby Guangzhou of the same province also expressed that their transit time can be reduced, but in fact transiting there took up to two days,” this player pointed out.
As time is critical for container vessels, any delay will be fatal to their business. Moreover, bonded bunkering activities may also be impeded.
Nevertheless, if Humen Port can successfully reduce cargo transit time, refueling outlook for the port will rebound, market sources predicted.
According to C1’s previous investigation, owing to small refueling demand in Humen Port, there were basically no bunker suppliers setting up refueling points in the port.
The new berths will boost Humen Port’s general cargo’s annual throughput capacity by 1.2-mil mt and container throughput by 100,000TEU.
