Marine Fuel Guide · India

HFHSD — High Flash High Speed Diesel

HFHSD is duty-paid marine diesel for coastal and domestic Indian vessels. The fuel is comparable in quality to marine gas oil, but it is sold duty-paid — because coastal voyages within India do not qualify for the customs-duty exemption that foreign-going vessels receive on their bunkers. The "high flash" specification raises the flash point for shipboard safety.

Key Specifications

Grade
HFHSD — High Flash High Speed Diesel
Flash point
Raised (high-flash) for marine use, typically ≥ 66°C
Duty status
Duty-paid (customs / excise + GST)
Applicability
Coastal & domestic-trade Indian vessels only
Typical Use

Coastal cargo vessels, tugs, dredgers, offshore support vessels and other craft operating on domestic Indian voyages that are not eligible for duty-free foreign-going bunker supply.

Duty-Paid vs Duty-Free — Why HFHSD Exists

The customs position

When a foreign-going vessel bunkers in India, the supply is treated as a deemed export and is exempt from customs duty — the fuel leaves Indian waters. A vessel on a coastal or domestic voyage is not exporting the fuel; it consumes it within India. That supply is therefore duty-paid, and HFHSD is the grade sold on that basis.

Same fuel, different fiscal treatment

Technically, HFHSD is high speed diesel with a high flash point suitable for marine engines — comparable distillate quality to marine gas oil. The practical distinction a coastal operator cares about is not the chemistry but the duty and documentation: HFHSD arrives duty-paid with the associated GST and paperwork already accounted for.

High flash point

Standard automotive high speed diesel has a lower flash point than marine safety practice prefers. The "high flash" HFHSD variant meets the raised flash-point requirement for carriage and use aboard vessels, reducing onboard fire risk in machinery spaces.

Documentation

Coastal bunker supply carries its own invoicing and GST treatment distinct from duty-free foreign-going stems. Seven Ocean handles the correct duty-paid documentation so the delivery is clean for a coastal operator's records.

Where to Bunker HFHSD

HFHSD is a coastal Indian supply grade. Ports in our India directory where we arrange duty-paid HFHSD for coastal and domestic vessels:

See all 25 Indian ports →

Frequently Asked Questions

What does HFHSD stand for?

High Flash High Speed Diesel — a high speed diesel with a raised flash point for safe carriage and use aboard vessels, supplied duty-paid for coastal Indian operations.

How is HFHSD different from MGO or LSMGO?

The fuel is comparable distillate quality. The real difference is fiscal: foreign-going vessels bunker duty-free as a deemed export, while coastal vessels on domestic Indian voyages take duty-paid fuel. HFHSD is that duty-paid grade.

Which vessels take HFHSD?

Coastal and domestic-trade craft operating within Indian waters — coastal cargo ships, tugs, dredgers and offshore support vessels that are not eligible for duty-free foreign-going supply.

Is HFHSD available outside India?

No. It is a coastal Indian supply grade tied to Indian customs treatment. For international ports, distillate is supplied as MGO or LSMGO.

Need duty-paid coastal fuel?

Seven Ocean arranges HFHSD for coastal and domestic Indian vessels with the correct duty-paid documentation. Tell us the vessel, the port and the quantity, and we'll come back with a stem.

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