Bunker ship

Tanker Pioneer , bunker mast on the forecastle

Bunker ships , in shipping and bunker boat , bunker barge or tank boat called, are ships which supply other vessels with fuel or lubricating oil. The process is called bunkering .

Maritime shipping

Seagoing vessels in the port or in the roadstead that require water, fuel or lubricants are supplied with pumpable fuels from the bunker ship lying alongside during the loading or waiting times. You then do not need to pick up the fuel you need at separate berths and save time.

Bunker ships that bunker seagoing ships are equipped with a hydraulically operated bunker mast with a height of up to 35 meters in order to be able to cope with the height difference between the ships. The bunker ship pumps the liquid (s) through hoses into the bunker of the ship to be supplied. Since most bunker ships also transport the viscous heavy fuel oil for supplying seagoing vessels, they have a heating system to keep the cargo warm.

Inland shipping

In order to supply the inland waterway vessels, there are bunker boats on all inland waterways , which not only have fuel but also lubricating oil, drinking water, lubricating grease and hydraulic oil on board. There are also permanent bunker stations where you can buy consumables for ship operations, food and beverages.

Examples of bunker ships

One of the largest bunker ships is the tanker VT Vorstenbosch with a loading capacity of 13,360 tons. In 2013, the first bunker ship for liquefied natural gas (LNG) was commissioned with the Seagas , and in 2019 an LNG bunker ship with the Kairos was put into service in the Port of Hamburg .