Mauritius : Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri performed the Bhumi Pujan and laid the foundation stone for the expansion project of the IndianOil Mauritius Limited (IOML) bunkering facility, in the presence of Indian High Commissioner Anurag Shrivastava and IOCL Chairman Arvinder Singh Sahney.
Highlighting the strategic importance of the project, Puri said Mauritius is located along a major international shipping route, giving it significant potential to emerge as an important maritime bunkering hub.
Mauritius currently receives an average of around 2,200 vessels annually, but the country aims to increase this figure to nearly 6,000 vessels per year. This growing maritime traffic could create a potential bunker-fuel market of around 2–3 million tonnes per annum (MMTPA).
IndianOil Mauritius is already active in the bunkering sector, supplying both Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) and Marine Gas Oil (MGO) to vessels.
As part of its expansion plans, IOML aims to raise its bunkering volumes to more than 400 thousand kilolitres (TKL) by FY 2029-30, supported by an investment of approximately US$25 million.
The proposed expansion will include five new storage tanks, designed in accordance with API 650 requirements and compliant with NFPA 30 standards. The project will also establish pipeline connectivity with the existing IOML terminal and utilise shared utilities and operational infrastructure.
The expansion is expected to strengthen IndianOil’s presence in the regional maritime-fuel market while supporting Mauritius’ ambitions to expand its shipping and bunkering ecosystem.