The competitive confrontation that in recent months saw the Venetian company Petromar oppose the Genoese incumbent Ciane in the activities of maritime transport and supply of bunker fuel to ships in the port of Genoa has reached its conclusion (at least for this year).
This is learned from the fact that the two bunkering vessels San Giorgio I and San Polo have left the Ligurian capital’s port and have returned to the Adriatic. Petromar confirmed to SHIPPING ITALY that “the unit San Giorgio I is currently in Venice and is about to undergo the planned reclassification. The m/c San Polo, however, is expected in Venice, after a technical stop in Taranto, where it will enter service, replacing another Venetian unit which will in turn be involved in scheduled maintenance.” The company controlled by getoil (the Gambini family) more precisely explains that, “in light of the concurrence between the end of the seasonality in the port of Genoa and a significant contraction in bunkering volumes at the national level, the company has opted for the repositioning of both units to Venice.”
In addition to the market context, Petromar’s plans in the port of Genoa were also complicated by the detention, by the local Port Authority, of both bunkering vessels for reasons of navigation safety. Some of the observations and critical issues that had been reported in recent months by the maritime workers of Ciane were subsequently confirmed by the checks of the maritime authority.
Last July, the bunkering vessel San Giorgio I, flying the Maltese flag, had been detained “following the emergence of deficiencies (some serious), concerning the diesel generator and emergency diesel generator,” to which were added “poor familiarity with on-board equipment and lack of flag endorsement on Stcw certification.” The San Polo, a few weeks later, had also been detained “following serious and numerous irregularities emerged during an inspection visit.” Both, after having remedied the reported criticalities, were able to return to service, but from Genoa (where in the summer they had guaranteed supplies mainly to the ferries of Grimaldi, Gnv and Moby) have now been repositioned to Venice, leaving the task of supplying ships under the lantern once again (and exclusively) to Ciane.
The brief appearance of the Venetian competitor has nevertheless left more than one mark because in recent months Ciane had sold the bunkering vessel Santa Rita and initiated a collective dismissal procedure for 11 employees, in the face of an expected 30% reduction in work volumes due precisely to the newcomer’s entry into the field. Now, with an evolving scenario and the prospect of increased demand for services, it remains to be seen how Ciane will face the next phase and whether the changed context could translate into opportunities for revival in terms of investment as well as employment.
