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Bunker Quality Claims Spike 50% in Early 2026: Off-Spec VLSFO Drives Turmoil in Maritime Supply Chains
Maritime insurer Gard has recorded over 70 bunker-related claims between January and May 2026—a sharp 50% increase compared to the same period in 2025. Fuel quality issues account for nearly all cases, with VLSFO (very low sulphur fuel oil) dominating 85% of disputes. The spike correlates directly w
South Africa's Bunkering Gamble: Why Regulatory Breakdown Handed the Cape Route to Mauritius and Walvis Bay
South Africa's dominance along the world's busiest maritime corridor is evaporating. Monthly bunker volumes plummeted from 130,000 tonnes in 2023 to 80,000 tonnes in 2024—a 39% collapse—while geopolitical upheaval redirected fleet fuel demand to nimbler African competitors. Mauritius Port Louis near
EU's 21st Sanctions Package: How Bunkering Services Face Structural Compliance Shift
On 9 June 2026, the European Commission proposed its 21st sanctions package against Russia, marking a watershed moment for maritime services—particularly bunkering. For the first time, the EU will target not just sanctioned vessels, but the service providers themselves: bunker suppliers, traders, br
Why Offshore Bunkering at Walvis Bay is Replacing In-Port Supply at Durban and Cape Town
South Africa's bunkering dominance is eroding. Regulatory constraints and port congestion at Durban and Cape Town are forcing shipowners and operators to pivot toward Namibia's Walvis Bay, where offshore and regional supplies now offer faster service, lower demurrage exposure, and reliable fuel avai
Bunker Squeeze Across Africa: Durban to Mozambique Face 5–10 Day Lead Times as Supply Tightens
According to latest ENGINE reports (July 2026), bunker fuel availability across Africa's key ports has tightened sharply, with lead times now stretching to 5–7 days in Durban, 7–10 days in Walvis Bay and Mozambique, and up to 10–15 days in Mauritius. The squeeze reflects persistent supply constraint
Port Congestion Cascades: Dar es Salaam Gains as Mombasa Stalls and African Hubs Absorb Rerouted Traffic
Dar es Salaam's 3.25-day median waiting time outpaces Mombasa's 5.33-day delays and transcends Africa's 15-day average, evidence of a quiet operational comeback as neighbouring Mombasa groans under chronic congestion. Yet capacity gains at Tanzania's main gateway mask a wider crisis: rerouted cargo
Durban's Transshipment Pivot: Regional Feeder Networks and Cargo Diversification as a Resilience Strategy
Durban is repositioning itself as a major African transshipment hub and not merely a destination port competing on throughput alone. The port's strategic shift—reinforced by private terminal investment, inland logistics corridors, and recovery from June 2026 landside disruptions—centres on capturing
East African Port Congestion Deepens: Mombasa 5.3-Day Waits Outpace Dar es Salaam Efficiency Gains—Intra-African Trade at Risk
Kenya's Port of Mombasa faces persistent structural delays with vessels waiting 5.33 days on average as of June 2026, while Tanzania's Dar es Salaam demonstrates superior operational resilience through investment in modern terminals and inland logistics. Empty container bottlenecks, truck driver str
SOLAS 2026 Mid-Year Audit: Three Compliance Pillars Fail Under Port State Control Scrutiny
Six months into mandatory SOLAS enforcement, Port State Control inspections reveal systematic gaps across three pillars: container loss reporting (SOLAS V/31-32), lifting appliance certification (II-1/3-13), and PFOS foam removal (II-2/10.11). Retrofit costs escalate whilst fleet operators and compl
Panama's Pacific Bunkering Surge: How Balboa's 408K MT April Volume Creates Bottleneck Risk and $15K+ Transit Penalties
Panama's bunkering market in April 2026 revealed a stark geographic imbalance: Balboa on the Pacific side commanded 408,319 metric tonnes of fuel sales—nearly five times the Atlantic side's 78,142 MT via Cristobal. This extreme concentration creates operational bottlenecks, constrains barge availabi
Bunker Availability Crisis Deepens: 10–15 Day Lead Times Now Standard Across Africa, Europe & Asia
Global bunker fuel supply has fractured into pockets of severe scarcity and erratic availability as geopolitical strain, terminal congestion, and uneven inventory distribution collide. As of late June 2026, traders and operators across Africa, Europe and Asia face extended lead times of 7–15 days—a