Business

Safe Bulkers extends scrubber partnership with Alfa Laval through service agreement

‘The Alfa Laval Service Agreement will help us safeguard long-term performance, for example by using data analysis to keep systems performing at their peak,’ says Dr. Loukas Barmparis.

Published

7 years ago

January 16, 2020

Admin

Greek dry bulk operator Safe Bulkers recently announced the extension of a long-term partnership with Alfa Laval PureSOx service agreement, which will safeguard long-term peak performance of the open loop scrubber systems.

In June 2018, Greek dry bulk operator Safe Bulkers selected Alfa Laval to retrofit 20 of its vessels with Alfa Laval PureSOx scrubber systems for exhaust gas cleaning.

Safe Bulkers ordered PureSOx retrofits for 12 Post-Panamax vessels, 6 Kamsarmax vessels and 2 Capesize vessels, with deliveries running until March 2020.

Almost 15 of those systems, which comprise open-loop scrubbers configured for multiple inlet sources, have now been installed at COSCO retrofit yards with engineering design of Alpha Marine Consulting P.C.

Throughout the process, Alfa Laval has partnered closely with the yards, providing support through locally based project managers with backing from PureSOx product centre in Nijmegen, Netherlands.

“Not only was there no time difference or language barrier in working with our yards, there was never any question about scope or responsibilities,” said Safe Bulkers President Dr. Loukas Barmparis.

“Alfa Laval’s team worked with us proactively to solve issues as quickly as possible, and they brought additional resources to the yard whenever time or flexibility became a concern.”

With the majority of the PureSOx retrofits completed, Safe Bulkers is now looking ahead to secure trouble-free operation.

Recently, the company signed a tailored Alfa Laval Service Agreement that will deepen the partnership between the two companies. The agreement includes connectivity and lifecycle-oriented services selected from the Alfa Laval PureSOx 360° Service Portfolio, provided for a flat yearly fee.

“We feel very satisfied with the scrubber project execution, and we want to be equally successful in the operation of our PureSOx systems,” said Dr. Barmparis.

“The Alfa Laval Service Agreement will help us safeguard long-term performance, for example by using data analysis to keep systems performing at their peak.”

In addition to genuine Alfa Laval spare parts, service kits and sensor calibration by exchange, the agreement includes services that will make corrective maintenance more plannable and maintenance costs more predictable.

“Hands-on training will lay a foundation for safe, compliant and cost-effective PureSOx operation,” he added.

Safe Bulkers crew members and superintendents will be trained at the recently opened Alfa Laval PureSOx Training Centre in Shanghai, China, where a full-size PureSOx system is installed.

“On top of that foundation, we will use data-driven PureSOx Connect services for compliance and performance monitoring.”

PureSOx Connect services will let Safe Bulkers prove compliance easily, generating automatic reports for handover to local authorities. In addition, the scrubber data will be analysed with advanced algorithms, enabling health monitoring, root-cause identification and remote service support when needed.

“Scrubber connectivity will give us deeper insights and keep our systems optimized,” he said.

“Alfa Laval will perform yearly Condition Audits of our PureSOx installations, but PureSOx Connect will help us take preventive actions and minimize the corrective needs they find.”

“We want to protect our uptime and eliminate any risk of non-compliance,” concluded Dr. Barmparis.

“As in all projects, we’ve worked hard to meet Safe Bulkers’ expectations during the sales and order execution phases,” said Alfa Laval Exhaust Gas Cleaning Director René Diks.

“Now that the orders are nearing completion, we will continue working hard to provide Safe Bulkers with support and services that will keep their PureSOx systems compliant and in top shape. More than scrubber deliveries, we see this as a long-term partnership.”

Photo credit: Alfa Laval
Published: 16 January, 2020

Winding up

Singapore: Notice of intended dividend issued for Xihe Holdings’ subsidiaries

Creditors will need to produce proofs of debt to liquidators of Da Xin Tankers and Nan Chiau Maritime by 5 August, according to Government Gazette notice.

Published

13 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Admin

Two notices to declare the intended dividend of Xihe Holdings’ subsidiaries to their creditors have been posted on the Government Gazette on Wednesday (22 July).

The subsidiaries are Da Xin Tankers Pte Ltd and Nan Chiau Maritime Pte Ltd.

The following are the details of the notices of intended dividend:

Name of Company : Da Xin Tankers (Pte) Ltd (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No. : 198400895W
Address of Registered Office : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960
Last Day for Receiving Proofs : 5 August 2026 at 5:00 pm by email to [email protected]
Name of Liquidators : Paresh Tribhovan Jotangia and Ho May Kee
Address : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960

Name of Company : Nan Chiau Maritime (Pte.) Ltd. (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. / Registration No.: 200814296Z
Address of Registered Office : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960
Last Day for Receiving Proofs : 5 August 2026 at 5:00 pm by email to [email protected]
Name of Liquidators : Paresh Tribhovan Jotangia and Ho May Kee
Address : c/o Grant Thornton Singapore Private Limited, 8 Marina View, #40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960

Photo credit: steve pb from Pixabay
Published: 23 July, 2026

Biofuel

South Korea: S-Oil launches B30-VLSFO bio bunker fuel supply

Company says it has established an integrated operating system in the Ulsan region covering the entire value chain, from feedstock procurement and blending to supply.

Published

13 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Admin

South Korea: S-Oil launches B30-VLSFO bio bunker fuel supply

South Korean petroleum and refining company S-Oil on Wednesday (22 July) said it has started supplying B30 very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), as the company seeks to support shipping’s decarbonisation efforts and growing demand for lower-carbon bunker fuels.

The company said its B30 VLSFO contains 30% sustainable biofuel blended with conventional VLSFO and can be used without requiring modifications to existing vessels, enabling shipowners to comply more readily with emissions regulations from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Union (EU).

S-Oil said it has established an integrated operating system in the Ulsan region covering the entire value chain, from feedstock procurement and blending to supply. The system combines VLSFO produced at its Onsan refinery with biofuel production facilities and storage infrastructure in the Ulsan region, allowing the entire process to be carried out within a single logistics hub.

According to the company, the integrated supply chain reduces transportation requirements during production while improving supply efficiency and reliability.

S-Oil also highlighted Ulsan Port as a strategic location for marine biofuel supply, noting the port has strong demand for bio-bunker fuels, particularly from car carriers, enabling prompt and stable deliveries to key customers.

An S-Oil official stated: “In the bio-marine fuel market, not only product quality but also securing a stable supply of raw materials and an efficient supply system are important competitive advantages.

“Based on our existing bunkering business capabilities and the excellent supply infrastructure in the Onsan area, we plan to supply stable and competitive low-carbon fuel.”

Photo credit: S-Oil
Published: 23 July, 2026

Decarbonisation

Yang Ming and PSA to develop integrated sea-land decarbonisation solutions

Both will explore solutions spanning emissions measurement and verification, a digital Book-and-Claim framework, and a joint maritime-land inset token package.

Published

13 hours ago

July 23, 2026

Admin

Yang Ming and PSA to develop integrated sea-land decarbonisation solutions

PSA International (PSA) on Monday (20 July) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation (Yang Ming) to jointly accelerate the adoption of low-carbon solutions across the maritime value chain.

Beyond emissions measurement and verification, the collaboration will focus on a digital Book-and-Claim framework and a joint maritime-land based inset token package.

“This synergy provides cargo stakeholders with a transparent and accountable sea-land pathway to achieve their decarbonisation targets,” PSA said on its website.

Yang Ming launched the green transport service, EcoSea+. This initiative integrates Yang Ming’s low-carbon navigation capabilities to empower customers with a flexible and transparent strategy to effectively reduce their Scope 3 transportation emissions. By joining forces with PSA, Yang Ming is able to expand the impact of these sustainability actions beyond the ocean.

Building on its position as a global port operator, PSA advances its Node to Network strategy through integrated port and supply chain capabilities that enable a green network of terminal and landside operations to reduce end-to-end supply chain emissions.

The agreement was officially signed by Mr Ivan Chiang, Chief Logistics Officer & Senior Vice President of Yang Ming, and Mr Eddy Ng, Group Head of Operations, Technology and Sustainability of PSA International.

Mr Ong Kim Pong, PSA International Group CEO, said, “As responsible stewards of tomorrow, PSA is committed to delivering sustainable impact across the global port and supply chain ecosystem.

“Tackling the challenges arising from climate change will require the collective efforts of all players in the maritime supply chain sector. We are excited to partner Yang Ming on the decarbonisation of global supply chains and support the transition towards a more sustainable global economy.”

Photo credit: PSA International
Published: 23 July, 2026