Leaders In Bunkering

As Marine Manager, do you also oversee environment- related aspects of the process ?

Yes. It is without saying that Mauritius is strategically located on a dense Maritime route from Asia to Europe / America. There has been an increase in the importation of bunker fuels from around 285,000 tons in 2014 to more than 600,000 tons in 2020, representing a growth of more than 100 percent. Bigger volumes entail higher risks to the ecosystem, and we have to be mindful as an industry to work towards reducing the risks where possible.

At Vivo Energy, we have a planned inspection and maintenance programme to ensure integrity of our logistics, be it at our depot, pipeline network and barge. Additionally, our delivery barge undergoes a Ship Inspection Report Program (SIRE) certification every six months, a unique tanker risk tool assessing the ship’s safety. All our employees and contractors play an important part in keeping everyone and everything safe so they continuously undergo marine terminal operations trainings to prevent any operational incident.

Furthermore, we involve local authorities in our drill exercises to test our readiness of intervention in case of emergencies.

Vivo Energy is already a member to Oil Spill Response Limited, one of the world’s leading oil spill company that guarantees immediate response to emergencies. We are currently working in collaboration with the Mauritius Ports Authority and other industry players to pool our knowledge and resources for a consolidated response plan for the bunkering industry.

Covid19 has deeply impacted the way business is done and how processes are carried out. Can you speak a few words on your own experience dealing with the pandemic’s constraints ?

Indeed, the pandemic has altered much of our operations. However, because our customers are mostly located overseas, we are used to working digitally. In this sense, communications with customers was moderately disrupted. However, it is important to meet face to face on a regular basis. Events like international bunkering conventions, which are an excellent platform to meet customers and exchange views with fellow IBIA (International Bunker Industry Association) members, used to be the place of choice to do so. Sadly, now all forums are set online. For example, the Maritime Week Africa was held online from 16 to 17 Feb. Valuable information was shared during the event regarding impact of the pandemic in regional ports. It is worthwhile to point out that despite the pandemic, overall volume for 2020 was at par with 2019 figures for Port Louis, unlike our neighbours in South African ports who experienced a drastic decline in their bunker volume.

Looking at how we operated during the pandemic, this unfortunate situation has tested our agility to adjust to new ways of working. Vivo Energy was able to maintain its bunkering activities by implementing stringent safety measures. Our employees, contractors and barge crew adopted a ‘no contact’ policy with third parties, to keep our staff and partners safe. Even surveyors were prohibited on board of our vessels, and we found new ways to witness the delivered figures were possible thanks to technology. As of today, the Covid-19 health and safety measures are still being applied. We are lucky to have maintained the contamination at minimal level on the island, but we should remain vigilant to keep it this way. This is why we continuously implement the highest level of safety and security in our operations.

Lastly, at Vivo Energy, we are proud to be among the sponsors, together with the Mauritius Ports Authority and Froid des Mascareignes Ltd, who stand together to conduct an extensive cleaning operation in Port Louis harbour.