Fuel Supply Maldives Private Limited (FSM) has revealed that its services will be made more efficient after bringing in two new barges.
In 2019, FSM signed a contract to procure four barges from an Egypt-based company. Two of the barges were brought to the Maldives last year and FSM will soon receive the other two vessels.
Speaking to PSM News, Managing Director Mohamed Gasam said there is now significantly more demand for fuel transport services to the atolls, resulting in FSM having to rent a private barge to continue operations. He said that the company will release the vessel once it receives the two new barges.
Additionally, Gasam detailed that the barges are currently at the Suez Canal and will arrive in the Maldives in 20 days and that they have the capacity to transport 180,000 litres of diesel and 40,000-60,000 litres of petrol. He added that FSM plans to replace the small barges in its fleet with larger vessels.
FSM transports over one million litres of fuel to various parts of the country every day. The state-owned company is currently facing challenges in transporting fuel to customers on time. However, adding the two new barges to its fleet is expected to solve the issue.