Brazil's GDE Marine intends to make low-sulphur MGO available by the end of the year at Suape, Northeast Region, after the inaugural month of its new VLSFO physical bunker operation was said to have been completed without a hitch.

Discussing future plans, Marine Director Antonio Barbará revealed to Bunker Index that his firm "should take 3 months to offer LSMGO" at Suape, which means marine gasoil would begin to be available by the end of December.

Barbará remarked: "GDE Marine has successfully completed its first 30 days of bunker operations at the Port of Suape, with 100% incident-free deliveries and 0% delays, showcasing our commitment to reliability and quality."

The supplier, part of Dislub Equador Group, currently performs VLSFO deliveries at Suape by barge and pipeline, covering all berths, with the storage capacity of its vessel at 1,650 tonnes and pumping rates of 300 cubic metres per hour via barge and ex-pipe.

As regards land storage at the port, GDE Marine explained that up to 30,000 tonnes of fuel can be held at the marine terminal, which is connected to the PGL1 berth.

In Recife, meanwhile, the firm delivers VLSFO and MGO by truck, with a maximum sulphur level of 0.5% for both products.