State Trading Organisation (STO) has introduced the first barge commissioned in the Maldives dedicated to supplying Jet A-1 fuel to refueling stations across the country.
“Lagana Barge”, a first of its kind dedicated to supplying Jet A-1 fuel, was launched by STO in collaboration with Island Aviation Services Limited (IASL) and Hansa Consulting Projects.
Along with 200 cubic metres of space and state-of-the-art measurement equipment, Lagana has been commissioned with industry-standard filters for aviation in accordance with relevant quality assurance codes. It is the first of its kind in the Maldives to be equipped with such filters.
STO stated that the crew of the barge has been provided with field training in aviation fuel handling and relevant operations manuals and documents.
STO also established a quality assurance system to trace jet fuel from refinery to flight. As such, fuel samples will be taken at each transfer point and tested at the laboratory set up by STO in Male’ City.
Managing Director of STO Abdulla Saeed said the barge will facilitate the supply of fuel to domestic airports. He added that the barge currently provides services to IASL and more barges will be brought in as demand increases.
