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Hambantota International Port (HIP) has completed its first commercial ship-to-ship (STS) transfer operation for liquid cargo, marking a major milestone in the expansion of the Sri Lankan port’’s capabilities. The operation, carried out in collaboration with a Singapore-based company, Shipload Maritime, involved the transfer of 3,170 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from the vessel Ivan6 to the tanker, Gas Challenger, operated by Laugfs Holdings.
According to HIP, the operation comes at a key time, as LPG demand continues to outpace supply, and the transfer was expedited to support distribution to the Laugfs facility in Colombo.
The partnership with Shipload Maritime enables HIP to offer STS services that were previously only accessible in the Maldives in this region, it says. The development of STS services at HIP now make Sri Lanka a viable alternative for liquid cargo transfers. According to Bindu Ranasinghe, Deputy General Manager of Commercial & Marketing, HIP group, “As demand for LPG and other liquid cargoes increases, HIP stands ready to support the needs of our clients with efficient, cost-effective solutions in line with various operational models available globally. This first successful STS operation reiterates HIP’s role as a fast-emerging logistics hub in the Indian Ocean, with an expanding range of services designed to meet regional and international demands.”
