World Bunkering > News > Autumn 2011 > Bunkering in the Thames Estuary

The London Queens Channel is conveniently located at the entrance to the River Thames. Situated on 51 deg 28 min North/ 001 deg 20 min East the anchorage offers a very minimal deviation from the main shipping lanes of the English Channel, one or two hours depending on direction of transit.

The bunkers-only fuel operation in the Thames Estuary has been developed in response to the UK government’s ‘Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Transfer) Regulations’. The new legislation will ban all unregulated refuelling in UK waters unless it takes place in areas controlled and supervised by a port authority, in this case the Port of London Authority (PLA). The project draws on the resources of a number of businesses with Cockett’s South African parent company, The Grindrod Group, including Unicorn Shipping and Rotterdam based Associated Bunker-oil Contractors.

The London Queens Channel comprises three anchorages located within the Port of London governed waters, each able to host a variety of vessels; combined they can service the larger deep draft vessels. The anchorages sit in deep and unobstructed waters, well sheltered from the prevailing weather by the South Eastern Hook of the Kent coast. The anchorages are serviced by a modern vessel specifically adapted to perform bunkering operations. The 8,672 dwt LS Christine can carry 10,290m3 in its cargo tanks. A full range of fuel oils, including low/high-sulphur fuel variants, as well as gas oil, are delivered, loading both directly from Rotterdam and localised dedicated Thames-based storage facilities.

The vessel is fully equipped with a wide range of hoses and flanges suitable for all combination of customer manifold locations, with the added option of a stern manifold to accommodate the split fuel oil and gas oil manifold locations present on some vessels. Large Yokohama fenders are fitted to both sides of the vessel to ensure good protection throughout the ship-to-ship operation. In addition to this a full Tier 1 oil response kit is carried aboard with a fast craft ready for prompt deployment if necessary. The crew has been fully trained in the provision of bunkering services and as a ships compliment provide peace of mind in providing a first-class quality service.

As well as the Tier 1 response equipment on-board the vessel Cockett has also heavily invested in a comprehensive shore-based Tier 2 set-up. The UK Spill Association (UK Spill), which is recognised by the UK environmental and maritime regulators as the national industry body, has accredited the spill response equipment and congratulated Cockett Marine Oil for the development of its local partnership concept. The spill response set-up has worked closely with inshore fishermen, each an expert on estuary and coastal waters. This has led to the adaptation of 10 fishing vessels to act as additional oil spill response vessels. As well as making changes to the vessels, funding has been provided to facilitate the training of 30 local fishermen in oil spill response and pollution control.

This Tier 1 equipment is also used to cover Cocketts’ existing Thames river bunker service, which has been in operation since 2009. The 1,500 dwt barge Beringzee currently services vessels on the Thames and Medway being able to supply the same range of fuel oils and gas oil as the LS Christine.

With both the Thames and London Queens Channel operations now in full swing Cockett Marine Oil are able to offer the location as a serious bunker hub, providing a bunkers only service in the right place at the right price. The commercial advantage of its location and ability to take advantage of cheaper fuel prices from Rotterdam makes the case a compelling one for owners and operators, especially in the current economic climate.”