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OW Bunker, one of the world’s leading physical distributors and resellers of marine fuel, today announced that it has upgraded its 1150dwt bunker barge Feyzanur, making the vessel double-hulled in advance of new stringent regulations by the Turkish Ministry of Transportation due to come into effect in Turkey in 2016.

The regulations seek to bring Turkey’s bunker fleet into line with existing International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and European Union (EU) regulations requiring all bunker barges above 600 dwt to be double-hulled.

In conjunction with this, TBS Denizcilik A.S. (TBS), the wholly-owned subsidiary of OW Bunker, announced that double-hulled 1250 dwt Ares-T, which is owned by the company, has undergone a comprehensive survey in dry dock to assess and improve its performance and operational efficiency. M/T Boreas-T, an 800dwt vessel, which is owned by TBS as well, has also been fitted with a double hull.

Sibel Buyuk, General Manager, TBS Denizcilik A.S. commented: "In order to help our customers maximise efficiencies in their operations we have invested in further improving our fleet of bunker vessels. While regulations mandating the conversion to double-hulled barges are not due until 2016, the improvements made to our vessels in dry dock are an important part of an overall strategic programme to ensure that we have the most efficient and cost effective physical distribution operation in the region. In conjunction with our highly-trained crews and experienced teams onshore, every element of our operations has been designed to meet the changing needs of our customers, and to ensure that they receive a high value service.”

Søren Christian Meyer, Vice President, Physical Distribution, OW Bunker, remarked: “We welcome the stricter 2016 regulations regarding barge specification, and have made significant investments towards creating the most modern bunker fleet in the region well ahead of schedule. This forward-looking approach that looks to minimise operating costs and increase efficiencies both in our own operations and those of our customers is a critical part of our strategy, and demonstrates the firm commitment that we have to our customers in the region."

Headquartered in Istanbul, TBS is one of the largest marine fuel distribution and reselling companies in Turkey with a fleet of seven modern vessels providing the full range of marine fuels across all Turkish ports.