Good news on LPG front: Ninth Indian flagged ship ‘Green Asha’ crossed the Strait of Hormuz

New Delhi, 5 April. There is good news for the country amidst the LPG and oil crisis that has arisen due to the conflict that has been going on for more than a month in West Asia. In this sequence, the Indian flag ship Green Asha successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea route near Iran. This is the ninth Indian ship to leave the Strait of Hormuz since tensions began in the Gulf region.

It is noteworthy that Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz after the war with America and Israel started. This route is very important for the world’s energy sector because 20 percent of the total petroleum trade in the world passes through this region.

According to media reports, Green Asha is an LPG tanker and its successful crossing of the Strait of Hormuz, despite increasing risks, shows India’s continued dependence on the region.

In fact, this tension has affected the global fuel supply chain, causing the world’s energy markets to face a difficult challenge. Maritime data shows that about 60 percent of cargo ships using this route are either coming from Iran or bound for Iran. Despite these challenges, Indian shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz remains relatively strong.

Before Green Asha’s voyage, at least eight Indian ships had passed through this route. These included the LPG carriers BW TYR and BW ELM, which transported approximately 94,000 tonnes of cargo from the conflict zone. In late March, four Indian-flagged LPG tankers, including Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, supplied more than 92,600 tonnes of LPG over a three-day period.

Earlier, MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi had delivered about 92,700 tonnes of LPG to Mundra and Kandla ports in Gujarat in mid-March. Other shipments included crude and fuel. Oil tanker Jag Ladki transported more than 80,000 tonnes of crude oil from the UAE to Mundra while Jag Prakash transited the Strait of Hormuz carrying gasoline from Oman to African markets. Another LPG carrier, Green Saanvi, also recently completed its voyage with about 46,650 MT of cargo.