World Bunkering > News > Summer 2010 > Italy - looking better

Italy’s main bunker ports of Genoa, Venice and Trieste saw their volumes dip last year as the global economic crisis hit shipping. Bunker broker Vittorio Pisano of Genoa-based PL Pisano and Co estimates that total volumes passing through Italian ports were down about 20% last year, with the market estimated at about 2.3 million tonnes. He says: “All markets have been affected by the crisis. Reduced industrial demand means reduced transport traffic.”

But he adds on an upbeat note: “However, the first few months of 2010 are looking better than the early part of 2009.” Giving a brief overview of the Italian market, Mr Pisano says: “Generally speaking, apart from a few local installations, RME180 is done as a blended product using 84% RME380, 15% gasoil and 1% RMG380 low sulphur.

There has, though, been a significant change in demand patterns, with enquiries for low-sulphur fuel increasing substantially. He notes: “Low-sulphur fuel demand is growing, especially in Genoa. We can say we are now supplying about 18% more of this product compared to 2008.” Looking ahead, he says: “It will be difficult for the Italian market to satisfy in full the rising demand for low-sulphur fuel.”

Pisano has been a well-known name in the bunkering/brokering world since 1957, when Vittorio Pisano began acting as the exclusive bunker broker for AGIP, as well as being the agent for AGIP on the domestic market in Genoa. That experience has been passed down through the company set up by his son, Pietro L Pisano, in 1971 as a new branch to his father’s company, which worked the international bunkering/brokering scene and operated as PL Pisano and Co.

In the past decade Pisano has widened its area of operations and now has customers in the US and the Far East, as well as Mediterranean and Black Sea ports.

Second new tanker for Ciane’s bunker operations

Italian coastal shipowner and bunker operator Ciane Spa has purchased a second double-hull bunker tanker from the Turkish shipbuilder Çiçek Shipyard. The Brezzamare started bunkering operations in February.

The decision to take the Brezzamare followed the delivery of the Frecciamare in May last year, the first of a series of four 3,100 dwt IMO II chemical tankers Çiçek had under construction for its associated shipowning company White Tulip Shipping, to Ciane. The Frecciamare has been operating out of Genoa and neighbouring ports including Savona, Vado Ligure, La Spezia and Marina di Carrara, providing bunker fuel to vessels calling at these ports. Now the Italian owner has decided to purchase the second vessel in the series, which was to have been named Chem Rose, and named her Brezzamare.

Based in Augusta, on the east coast of Sicily, Ciane is part of the Novella Group, headed by Marco Novella and his family, and specialises in coastal tanker and bunker operations. Augusta is one of Italy’s largest ports, a major centre for oil refining and a popular bunkering centre, being on the main east-west trade route through the Mediterranean.

Although Ciane Spa intends using Brezzamare for bunkering duties, operating alongside Frecciamare, the two ships are extremely flexible, being capable of worldwide trading, transporting oil products, chemicals (IMO type II) and vegetable, animal and fish oils. MarineLine coatings were selected by Çiçek to give the ability to carry a wide range of cargoes while high manoeuvrability is guaranteed by the choice of twin azimuthing propellers and a bow thruster. They are classed by Bureau Veritas and constructed to meet Ice B standards.

According to Berke Çiçek, Vice President of Cicek Shipyard, interest from European owners for such vessels is strong, despite the overall weak state of the shipping market. He explained: “New double-hulled vessels like these are still in demand to replace older tonnage and because we took the initiative to start construction of the four ships to our own account, new owners benefit from extremely short delivery periods. We are talking to a number of other potential owners and charterers and are confident of finding buyers who can secure immediate and profitable employment for these vessels. We still have two sister vessels from the same series which are waiting for their new owners.

“We were not surprised by the interest shown in these ships by the Novella Group. We had identified the bunker trades as a strong potential market since many bunker tankers are still single-hull and quite elderly. There is a replacement market and there is also a requirement for larger vessels like ours since average ship sizes continue to grow. Large containerships, for example, take on board substantial amounts of bunkers and they also expect a fast rate of delivery.”

Speaking on behalf of the owner, Luca Stegagnini, who is the technical manager and a board member of Ciane spa, said: “Frecciamare is proving to be an excellent vessel. Being an IMO II chemical tanker, she might be considered to be ‘over qualified’ as a bunker tanker but we are sure she will prove to be a good longterm investment.”