World Bunkering > News > Summer 2009 > Italy

Recent statistics for volumes supplied at Italian ports tell their own story. A total of 3.75 million tonnes was delivered at Italian ports in 2008, 5% higher than in the previous year. However, volumes were down 7% in the first quarter of this year compared to a year previously.

The shared view of the Italian bunker industry is that bunker demand will closely follow global economic trends, according to Gaetano D’Alesio, director of Livorno-based Dalmare.

However, his company is continuing to invest. He says: “By the end of the May Dalmare will have a fourth double-hull newbuilding bunker tanker in service covering deliveries at the ports along the Tyrrenian coast: Livorno, La Spezia, Piombino and Marina di Carrara. That will give us a total loading capacity of about 8,500 tonnes. Last year Dalmare sold, directly to shipowners or bunker traders, 65% of the 610,000 tonnes of bunker products supplied in the region..

Mr D’Alesio notes: “The availability of low-sulphur fuel at Italian ports is adequate to meet current demand from passenger vessels in shuttle service between the mainland and the islands. However, we expect that in 2010, should the whole Mediteranean area be declared SECA, there will be availability problems with a foreseeable negative impact on the cost of this fuel. No high viscosity (beyond 380/400 cSt) is currently available at Italian ports.”