For the past two years, Haikou Customs has successfully operated an innovative model that integrates “dual-purpose vessels” with “cross-customs-region direct fuel supply.”

An aerial view of a vessel conducting operations at the anchorage near Yangpu Port.

Under this model, customs-registered bunker vessels can directly supply bonded heavy fuel oil (HFO) across customs regions, between Hainan and the ports of Qinzhou, Fangchenggang, and Beihai in Guangxi, to ships. They are also permitted to transport domestically produced fuel on short-haul routes.

By integrating bonded HFO supply and domestic fuel transportation, the model has improved the competitiveness of Hainan’s fuel companies and has provided shipping lines along the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor with more convenient and cost-effective energy supply services.

By the end of May this year, participating vessels had bunkered over 580,000 tons of bonded HFO and moved more than 230,000 tons of fuel products. The model is estimated to save fuel supply companies nearly 10 million yuan annually in operating costs.

Building on this innovation, Hainan is accelerating the development of an integrated vessel fuel supply service system across the Beibu Gulf area and steadily improving its international shipping service capabilities.

The initiative has been selected as a model case in Hainan Province’s sixth batch for improving the business environment and recognized as one of the institutional integration innovation cases in the 22nd batch released under the Hainan Free Trade Port.

An aerial view of Yangpu Port in Hainan Province.

Bonded HFO supplied at the outer anchorage of Yangpu Port is becoming a popular fueling choice for international transit vessels, lowering fuel costs by around 15% compared with conventional fuel.

Innovations such as dual anchorage services inside and outside the port, together with a streamlined “fuel and sail” service model, are attracting more international vessels to Hainan while improving efficiency and reducing costs.