New Delhi, April 5: In a significant development for the country’s LPG sector, the Indian-flagged ship Green Asha has successfully navigated the narrow maritime route of the Strait of Hormuz, located near Iran. This marks the ninth Indian vessel to exit the Strait since tensions in the Gulf region escalated.
Following the onset of conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel, Iran had closed the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for global energy trade, accounting for 20 percent of the world’s petroleum commerce.
Reports indicate that Green Asha, an LPG tanker, successfully crossing this strategic route despite rising risks reflects India‘s ongoing reliance on this region. The current tensions have impacted the global fuel supply chain, posing significant challenges to energy markets worldwide. Maritime data shows that nearly 60 percent of the cargo ships using this route are either coming from or heading to Iran.
Despite these challenges, Indian shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz remains relatively robust. Prior to Green Asha’s journey, at least eight Indian vessels had already traversed this route. Among them were LPG carriers BW TYR and BW ELM, which transported approximately 94,000 tons of cargo from the conflict zone.
At the end of March, four Indian-flagged LPG tankers, including Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, supplied over 92,600 tons of LPG within a span of three days. Earlier, MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi delivered around 92,700 tons of LPG to the ports of Mundra and Kandla in mid-March.
Other shipments included crude oil and fuel, with oil tanker Jag Ladki transporting over 80,000 tons of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates to Mundra, while Jag Prakash crossed the Strait of Hormuz carrying gasoline from Oman to African markets. Another LPG carrier, Green Sanvi, also recently completed its journey with approximately 46,650 metric tons of cargo.