What is bunkering?
The word “Bunker” is used extensively in defense forces and is used to define an area to store and safeguard personnel and supplies (such as fuel, ammunition, food, etc.). It was derived from the Scottish word “Bunk” which means a reserved seat or bench.
In the shipping industry, the word bunker is used for fuel and lube oils, which are stored on a ship and used for machinery operation only.
When the ship receives any kind of oil for using it in its machinery, it is called bunker fuel or bunker oil. The following are different types of bunkers that are supplied to a commercial or passenger vessel:
- Heavy fuel oil bunker
- Diesel oil bunker
- Marine gas oil bunker
- Lube oil bunker
- LNG fuel bunker
The bunkering procedure on a ship can be divided into three important stages:
- Preparation – Preparing for the bunkering operation, which will involve the readiness of bunkering equipment, storage tanks, and bunkering safety
- Perform – Performing the bunkering operation in real-time as per the pre-decided procedure and receiving the marine fuel according to the bunker plan
- Wrap-up – Wrapping up the bunkering operation with utmost safety and ensuring the correct amount and quality of bunker fuel have been received onboard from the bunkering facilities (bunker ship, shore truck, etc.)
