Ostsee Mineralöl-Bunker GmbH (OMB), a subsidiary of the Bomin Group – a leading global marine fuel supplier – today announced the expansion of its physical operation in Rostock, Germany. The company has chartered a new bunker barge on the back of increased demand to implement ECA compliant solutions for customers. The development comes as OMB celebrates its 25th year of operations.

The new vessel, ‘MT Oslo-Tank’, is a Norwegian-flagged 850dwt, 2009-built bunker barge. To ensure product quality, the barge has advanced storage facilities, allowing for the complete segregation and transportation of three different fuel grades at the same time.  

Mathias Berndt, Managing Director of OMB commented: “Being able to provide flexibility in bunker supply is extremely important to ensure that our customers are getting value for money and that they have an ECA compliant solution that meets the needs of each vessel and route. To achieve this, we have invested in further developing our physical supply infrastructure with the highly versatile ‘MT Oslo-Tank’, in addition to our existing network of trucks, barges and tank terminals.”

As the company is situated in a key port located directly next to the Baltic Sea, OMB is working with many of its customers to create ECA-compliant solutions tailored to the specific needs of each business and its vessels. This includes the recent signing of two bunker supply agreements with two prominent regional cruise operators, based on developing solutions that comprise both distillates, as well as HFO for exhaust gas cleaning systems.

Jan Christensen, Regional Manager Bomin Group, concluded: “While the low fuel prices have diluted the impact of the 2015 ECA regulations, it is still critical for ship owners and operators to work in partnership with their fuel suppliers to develop fuel procurement solutions that drive operational, environmental and cost efficiencies. From the perspective of fuel suppliers, it is vital that we not only provide customers with choice to suit their demands, but also quality products, whether it is HFO, distillates or LNG.”
Source: Bomin Group