PT Oiltanking Indonesia may also be looking to build oil tanks on the 60 hectares anchorage area, according to Taufik Awarsa Kesuma, managing director of Aucor Tech Pte Ltd.
Aucor Tech is a marketing agency firm based in Singapore, engaged by PT Maxsteer Dyrynusa Perdan, Indonesian state-owned operator of NTAA.
”The director of Maxsteer told me that Vopak Indonesia is in talks with the Jakarta government to build oil tanks in NTAA,” Kesuma told Bunkerworld.
He said that the capacity of each oil tank could be 5,000-10,000 metric tonnes (mt).
”PT Oiltanking Indonesia could also be interested in building oil tanks as well,” he added.
Maxsteer is in cooperation with another state operator PT Pelindo to develop a range of services on NTAA, such as bunker and water supplier, oil spill prevention implementor, ship-to-ship (STS) operator and other related activities.
The operators welcome local and international partners to boost facilities at the offshore anchorage area.
”NTAA is located in a very strategic area along the Malacca and Indonesian Straits, and it has been recommended by the Indonesian President as an ideal maritime facilities location,” Kesuma said.
Vessels plying the busy Malacca Strait could anchor temporarily before entering Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia.
Kesuma highlighted that STS and anchorage charges are competitive to those in Singapore and Malaysia, and maritime security is ‘guaranteed’.
”Nipah Island is guarded by Navy Indonesia and they have their base there,” he said.
Other services available at the Indonesian anchorage include laying up of vessels, ship supply, crew change, hot work and repair, tank cleaning, gas purging and garbage handling.
NTAA is in operation since July 2008, servicing mainly oil and chemical mother vessels that prefer to minimise their in-port activities, and moving their activities to transit area for cheaper STS operation.