World Bunkering > News > Summer 2009 > Greece

This year will be a challenging one for all players in the Greek bunker industry, according to Alexander Prokopakis, general manager of JetOil Bunkering. He tells World Bunkering: “At the current state we see a decrease in demand despite the deliveries of newbuilds. World trade is declining so it is only logical for our market to see a decrease in demand.

“Credit worthiness and demand are our main challenges for the year,” he says. But he adds: “I am optimistic about the future. I am not basing my opinion in facts but on positive thinking. I hope that in the second half of 2009 things are going to start to pick up.”

JetOil Bunkering is part of Mamidoil – JetOil SA, a member of the Mamidakis Brothers Group and is the largest privately owned supplier of marine bunker fuels in Greece.

The company operates four barges and a fleet of modern road tankers. “We can deliver in all major Greek ports,” he says, adding that “barge and crew inspection and training programmes guarantee safe and effective deliveries”.

He says: “Because of the current worldwide economic uncertainty all our expansion plans are on hold. We are interested in other areas of the Mediterranean but we are only going to move forward if we have complete control of the entire operation, so we can keep the high performance level that our customers expect from JetOil.”

Increasing demand for low-sulphur fuels is starting to be felt in Greece and supplies are available in Piraeus. Mr Popopakis notes: “Over the past six months we see an increase in low-sulphur fuels of about 15-20%.” So far, however, there has been no demand for, and there is no availability of, 580 cSt in Greek ports.