60,000 tonnes of diesel arrive at Chattogram port

Two vessels carrying 60,000 tonnes of diesel in total arrived at Chattogram port yesterday, as the market faces pressure from reduced refinery output amid the US-Israel war on Iran.

Port officials said the tankers, Torm Damini and Lucia Solis, reached the outer anchorage (Alpha Zone) in the evening.

The vessels are now stationed at the anchorage and are expected to berth at Dolphin Jetty in Patenga by April 18. Each shipment may take around two days to discharge.

The arrivals come as authorities move to stabilise fuel supply, particularly diesel, which accounts for the bulk of the country’s energy consumption.

Bangladesh’s annual fuel demand stands at around 7 million tonnes, with monthly requirements averaging roughly 550,000 to 600,000 tonnes, according to Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC) data.

Diesel constitutes a major share of this demand, most of which is met through imports of refined fuel.

Additional shipments are already in the pipeline. BPC General Manager (Operations) Muhammad Morshed Hossain Azad told The Daily Star that two more diesel-laden vessels, carrying a similar volume in total, are scheduled to arrive on April 18.

“There is no reason to panic over supply pressure,” he said, adding that the incoming cargoes are expected to ease the current strain in the market.

According to BPC data, an additional 198,000 tonnes of diesel, along with around 50,000 tonnes of jet fuel and furnace oil, are scheduled to arrive between April 16 and April 30.

Import plans indicate a further ramp-up in the coming months. In May, the country is set to receive around 350,000 tonnes of diesel, 40,000 tonnes of jet fuel, 25,000 tonnes of octane and 75,000 tonnes of furnace oil.

For June, BPC has planned imports of about 270,000 tonnes of diesel, 60,000 tonnes of jet fuel, 25,000 tonnes of octane and 75,000 tonnes of furnace oil.