Bunker volumes at Port Louis Harbour in Mauritius doubled from 500,000 mt in 2023 to 1 million mt in 2024, the port said at a conference according to South African shipping company Linsen Nambi.

A breakdown of sales showed that VLSFO accounted for the majority with 65%, followed by HSFO (23%) and MGO (12%).

The port authority attributed the surge in demand to suspended bunker operations in Algoa Bay, and widespread vessel diversions around southern Africa to avoid attacks in the Red Sea.

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) halted all offshore bunkering in Algoa Bay in September 2023, and detained five bunker barges over import duty disputes.

At the same time, Houthi attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea prompted several liner and tanker operators to reroute their ships around the Cape of Good Hope, passing Mauritius on the way.

These regional disruptions redirected bunker demand in 2024 to alternative ports such as Port Louis, Nacala and Maputo in Mozambique, as well as Durban and Cape Town.

While unrest in the Red Sea has continued into 2025, keeping diversions in place, multiple sources have said that bunker activity has resumed in Algoa Bay, but in a very limited capacity.

In January, a stem was delivered by a barge owned by African Marine Solutions (AMSOL), marking the first offshore bunker operation in the port since deliveries were banned in 2023, a source told ENGINE.

However, a full return of regular bunkering off Algoa Bay could take a longer time, as barge operators are still waiting for clarity on certain rules in the the country's Customs and Excise Act, another source said.

Amid the ongoing uncertainty in South Africa and the Red Sea, Port Louis appears optimistic and plans to introduce LNG bunkering – although no timeline has been announced.

By Konica Bhatt

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