This was a great boost to the LPG supply chain in India when the tanker, the MT Nanda Devi sailed across the Strait of Hormuz to the west coast without any difficulties. The ship, which was transporting 46,500 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas, reached an off shore anchorage off Gujarat in the early hours of Tuesday, when the tensions were at its peak in West Asia.
The 10.2 tonne load of cargo is a boon to a nation where more than 330 million households rely on cooking gas. To guarantee a quicker distribution, authorities chose a ship to ship transfer in Vadinar rather than docking at Kandla Port which saved a great deal of time. The LPG was hastened to another ship to be shipped to the southern markets such as Chennai.
The Indian Oil Corporation chartered tanker owned by the Shipping Corporation of India was one of the limited vessels that was diplomatically coordinated to pass through the strategically important strait safe. Its cargo had been loaded in Qatar at Ras Laffan this month.
It is the second successful landing since another similar-tanker had landed in India in the recent past thus making sure that there will be continuity in the supply of fuel even when the world shipping routes are disturbed. As India imports almost two-thirds of the LPG requirement, the government has also intensified local production and focused on port activities to avoid shortages especially to the households, as the world is still facing geopolitical pressure on energy logistics.
Another ship, Jag Ladaki, has also arrived in India from the Strait of Hormuz. The crude oil tanker has reached the Gulf of Kutch safely and has also reported the same to Mundra Port.