South Africa’s Astron Energy, a unit of Glencore (GLEN.L), will deploy the bunkering tanker Pearl Kate to transport low-sulphur marine fuel along the coast, following the seizure of another vessel by tax authorities, according to court documents and industry sources, reported by Reuters.
Its arrival is expected to restore part of South Africa’s strained bunkering capacity at a time when rerouted global shipping has increased demand for refueling along the Cape route.
Marine-tracking websites indicate that Pearl Kate is set to arrive in Cape Town from Singapore this week.
A company official said it is the third South African-flagged tanker introduced by Astron.
Astron is seeking to recover refueling capacity lost when the South African Revenue Service (SARS) detained and later seized the tanker Essien and its fuel cargo last March.
The seizure, contested in the Western Cape High Court by Astron and shipowner Ocean Ark Shipping Ltd, stems from SARS claims that the foreign-flagged vessel chartered by Astron was improperly declared and failed to pay required value-added tax.
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The legal dispute follows a wider tax crackdown by SARS in late 2023, which led to the detention of five vessels in Algoa Bay on the east coast over alleged violations of the Customs and Excise Act.
The enforcement disrupted operations in Algoa Bay, a key offshore refueling point for international shipping, affecting companies including Mercuria, Trafigura, and BP (BP.L), as tensions in the Red Sea diverted more vessels along the Cape of Good Hope route.
Marine data from ClassNK shows that Pearl Kate is under a bareboat charter, leased without a crew, from African Marine Solutions Group (AMSOL), which provides bunkering services at major South African ports.
AMSOL, one of two operators with a new license for Algoa Bay, restarted offshore bunkering services there last year, supported by a refueling agreement with Astron, according to three industry sources. AMSOL referred inquiries to Astron.
An Astron spokesperson did not answer specific questions about the vessel but said that the production and ability to distribute marine fuels “are fundamental to the ongoing operation of the Astron Energy refinery.”
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Image Credit: Reuters
