Global marine fuel company TFG Marine, created by Trafigura as well as shipping firms Frontline and Golden Ocean, is set to start bunkering operations in January from Falmouth, UK, as the company advances its expansion plan.

“This is an important development for TFG Marine's growing off-shore marine fuels operation in waters between France and the United Kingdom that provide both fuel oil and gasoil to a wide range of vessels moving along the English Channel,” said Kenneth Dam, TFG Marine’s global head of bunkering.

Trafigura has contracted with Falmouth Petroleum Limited, an affiliate of World Fuel Services, for marine fuel capacity at its Falmouth terminal, which is strategically located at the entrance to Northern Europe’s Sulfur Emission Control Area, or SECA, TFG Marine said in a statement Jan. 20.

The agreement will allow TFG Marine to access volumes from the terminal of 0.5% very low-sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), 0.1% low-sulfur gasoil (LSGO), as well as high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) for ships with on-board scrubbers, it said, adding that TFG Marine will provide bunker operations from this month with two SIRE inspected barges and plans to add further barges to this operation over time.

Global footprint

TFG Marine is rapidly scaling up its global footprint, which already includes bunkering operations in Asia, the Americas, West and South Africa and Europe.

On Dec. 10, 2020 the company announced its plans to commence bunkering operations in Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp waters by the end of 2020, including the introduction of mass flow meters on certain of its chartered barges in 2021.

In Asia, TFG Marine was awarded a bunker supplier license from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore in April 2020. TFG Marine was ranked the 16th largest supplier by volume in 2020 in Singapore, the world's largest bunkering port, according to data from the MPA released this month.

Meanwhile, Trafigura has been awarded a bonded bunker supplier license by the port of Zhoushan, China, recently.