Another Indian fuel vessel, HARI ANAND, arrived at the Colombo Port yesterday (29), carrying 36,000 metric tonnes (MT) of diesel and petrol, as Sri Lanka continues to grapple with fuel supply disruptions linked to the Middle East conflict.
The vessel docked at the Dolphin Jetty at around 1.30 p.m., and pumping of the fuel to the Kolonnawa storage complex commenced shortly after, authorities stated. The consignment includes 18,000 MT of diesel and 18,000 MT of 92-octane petrol.
This marks the second fuel shipment from India within days, following the arrival of a 38,000 MT consignment at the Colombo Harbour on 28 March.
President Dissanayake expressed his gratitude to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India for the support extended to Sri Lanka amid the ongoing energy crisis.
The President said he had spoken to Modi earlier this week regarding the fuel supply disruptions faced by Sri Lanka due to the Middle East conflict.
In a post on ‘X’, formerly known as Twitter on 28 March, he said: “Grateful for India’s swift support. 38,000 MT of fuel arrived in Colombo. My thanks also to External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar for his close coordination.”
The Indian High Commission in Colombo confirmed the earlier shipment was dispatched following a telephone conversation between President Dissanayake and Prime Minister Modi on 24 March.
In parallel, Dr. Jaishankar and Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath also held discussions on 23 March to coordinate support.
Earlier, Lanka IOC had secured fuel supplies for March from the Middle East and Singapore. However, suppliers were unable to deliver shipments, invoking force majeure due to vessel unavailability and supply disruptions amid the ongoing conflict.
Following the setback, emergency fuel supplies were sought from India through the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL), with the 38,000 MT shipment forming part of the arrangements.
The Indian High Commission stated the Government of India stepped in to ensure the continuity of fuel supplies to Sri Lanka through Lanka IOC.