Bunkering (marine fuelling)

What is bunkering?

In shipping, bunkering refers to the fuelling of ships with marine (bunker) fuels used to power them, and also includes food and drinking water supplies for the crew. The fuelling operation can either be carried out via pipeline or tanker vehicle at berth or with special bunker vessels on the water. Ship-to-ship fuelling outside the port areas, i.e. at sea, is called offshore bunkering. Very high safety precautions apply to bunkering to ensure that no marine fuels spill into the water during fuelling.