India grants waivers for some ships to deliver Iran cargoes, say sources

NEW DELHI: With a view to speeding delivery of energy supplies from the Gulf, India recently granted waivers to allow two Iranian cargoes aboard an older ​tanker and another under international sanctions to enter its ports, ​two officials familiar with the matter said.

The world’s No.2 importer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), India is facing its worst gas crisis ​in decades, with the government rationing supplies to industry to ensure ​households are supplied with the cooking gas, Reuters reported.

India recently permitted the LPG tanker Aurora to dock in the southern port of Mangalore despite it being about 30 years ​old, one of the sources said.

A crude oil tanker, the Jaya, despite ​being under US sanctions, was also permitted to unload, the other source said.

The ‌officials said the approvals were being made on a case-by-case basis and only vessels meeting safety parameters were being considered for waivers.

India typically requires tankers that are more than 20 years old to have ​seaworthiness certification from a ​member of the International Association of Classification Societies, or an entity authorised by India’s maritime administration.

It also typically bars ​vessels subject to US sanctions from its ports.

Iran ​has sidestepped Western sanctions to deliver its oil in recent years by deploying a “shadow fleet” of older tankers lacking such paperwork.