Ctg port unloads 27,004 tonnes of diesel amid fuel shock

Bangladesh has begun unloading a major diesel consignment at the Port of Chittagong as part of efforts to strengthen national fuel reserves amid rising demand and uncertainty linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

A tanker carrying 27,004 tonnes of diesel reached the port on Monday morning, while several more shipments are scheduled to arrive within the week, officials said.

The vessel, MT Xiu Chi, arrived at around 8:30 am on March 9, and unloading operations started shortly afterwards. According to port sources, the tanker sailed from Singapore with the refined fuel.

Another tanker, MT Lian Huan Hu, is expected to berth at the Dolphin Jetty of the port later Monday night, carrying nearly 27,000 tonnes of diesel.

Earlier, Iqbal Hasan Mahmud Tuku had announced that two diesel-laden ships would arrive on the same day, adding that the shipments would help increase the country’s fuel reserves.

More tankers on the way

In addition to the two vessels arriving Monday, four more diesel tankers are scheduled to reach the port within a week, bringing a combined 147,005 tonnes of fuel.

Among them, the tanker SPT Themis is expected to arrive on Thursday carrying about 30,484 tonnes of diesel. Another vessel, Raffles Samurai, is scheduled to reach the port on Saturday. A fourth tanker, Chang Hang Hong Tu, is also expected around the same time, each carrying roughly 30,000 tonnes of diesel.

Pride Shipping Lines, the local representative for several of the vessels, said the ships were arriving according to schedule.

Four tankers are scheduled to arrive within a week as per the planned schedule, informed the company, adding that after reaching the port waters, unloading will begin in turn,” he said.

Arrivals amid rising demand

The fresh fuel supply comes at a time when diesel demand has surged following panic buying triggered by the Middle East conflict.

Ten days after the war began, the first of the new diesel shipments reached Bangladesh’s port waters on Monday. Officials said the government has already reduced the daily supply in some areas in order to maintain adequate reserves.

According to the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation, the country’s normal diesel demand stands at about 12,000 tonnes per day.

Based on this demand level, the diesel arriving on the five tankers could meet national demand for around 12 days. However, as supply has recently been reduced to about 9,022 tonnes per day to conserve stock, the same volume could last up to 16 days.

Officials said the country already has reserves that can meet demand for another 16 to 17 days, meaning Bangladesh could soon have nearly a month’s diesel supply available.

Heavy reliance on diesel

Diesel remains the backbone of Bangladesh’s energy system. According to BPC, about 70 per cent of the country’s energy demand is met through diesel-based consumption, much of which must be imported.

Data from the National Board of Revenue shows that Bangladesh imported about 2.328 million tonnes of diesel between July and February of the current fiscal year from nine countries.

Of that total, around 78 per cent came from Singapore, Malaysia and India, while no diesel imports were recorded from Middle Eastern countries during that period.