Dubai: Economic Zones World (EZW) said Wednesday that Gazprom Neft Marine Bunkering, a subsidiary of Russian gas giant Gazprom Energy, has established a base in the Djibouti Free Zone (DFZ).
The move is part of the multinational energy major's expansion strategy. Managed by the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (Jafza), the flagship company of EZW, the DFZ is a gateway to East Africa and one of the single most important strategic logistics hubs to provide access to strategic markets in East and Central Africa and beyond, the statement said.
DFZ offers a Jafza-inspired business environment and is located close to global marine terminal operators DP World's Djibouti and Doraleh terminals which attract top international shipping lines including Maersk and MSC.
Gazprom, through its local subsidiary Djibouti Bunkering Company, plans to sell marine fuel to these shipping lines. The company has two storage tanks with a storage capacity of 9,300 cubic metres and a barge in the marine oil terminal Doraleh. The company is awaiting quality control approval for its floating barge and expects to commence operations this month.
Ali Dawood, a senior vice-president at EZW, said: "Djibouti Free Zone, like Jafza, is fully committed to supporting Gazprom's growth plans on the African continent. DFZ is a strategically located gateway linking free zone based companies to millions of customers in key markets in Africa and worldwide."
Andrey Vasiliev, director general of Gazprom Neft Marine Bunker, said: "Gazprom Neft intends to deliver first class bunkering service to the marine industry in the region which will further develop and strengthen our business relations with Djibouti and the continent."
Gazprom is one of the world's largest energy companies and owns a pipeline network of 155,000 km, the largest in the world.
The company has subsidiaries in many industry sectors including geological exploration and hydrocarbons.
