Legal

Scrubber firm Ecospec Marine Technology faces liquidation suit from Stora Enso

Ecospec cSOx scrubber unit did not meet operational requirements; Sembcorp Marine no longer shareholder of Ecospec Marine which is now a dormant company.

Published

7 years ago

October 31, 2019

Admin

Singapore-based Ecospec Marine Technology Pte Ltd, a maritime research and development firm formerly associated with Sembcorp Marine, is facing a winding up application from Finnish pulp and paper manufacturer Stora Enso OYJ due to its cSOx scrubber unit not meeting the acceptance criteria for the contract.

Stora Enso, which filed the winding-up application at the High Court of the Republic of Singapore, is seeking approximately EUR 1.38 million (USD 1.54 million) from Ecospec due to the failed scrubber installation.

The cSOx scrubber system is jointly developed by Ecospec and Sembawang Shipyard, a subsidiary of Sembcorp Marine, a major ship repair and rig builder in Singapore.

Stora Enso and shipowner and operator Rederi AB TransAtlantic, now renamed as Viking Supply Ships (VSS), had on July 2014, entered into a Purchase Order Agreement (POA) with Ecospec Marine for the installation of its cSOx closed loop scrubber unit, according to documents obtained by Manifold Times.

The POA stated that Ecospec will bear 50% of the installation and engineering costs incurred in connection with installation and engineering of the cSOx scrubber system; liquidated damages for delay; and removal of the scrubber installation in the event of termination.

Stora Enso decided to terminate the POA on December 2016 due to the acceptance criteria for the cSOx scrubber system installation not being met which resulted in, “the delivery, installation, commissioning and testing of the system had not been duly approved by the parties, the flag state and class,” it stated.

A series of communication between Stora Enso and Ecospec representatives was soon started to decide on the arrangements for removing the installed scrubber, amongst other topics.

In July 2018, an Ecospec representative attributed the cause of the failure to “the China-made burner which could not perform in a sustained operation without breaking down”.

Pursuant to further exchanges, in June 2019, an Ecospec representative said that the company had been dormant and all its staff had left as it has suffered net liability of $14.4 million for the financial year of 2018; he also pointed out that Ecospec will be winded up after being a dormant company after three years.

An alternative plan was suggested by Sembcorp to install its new SembSOx hybrid scrubber system for Stora Enso; however, the latter preferred to have the Ecospec cSOx scrubber removed before further discussions.

Following, Stora Enso submitted its claim of approximately EUR 1.38 million to Ecospec.

A hearing for the winding-up application against Ecospec at the High Court of the Republic of Singapore will take place on Friday (1 November); Ecospec is unrepresented in the case, showed the court hearing list.

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 31 October, 2019

Winding up

Singapore: Annual general meetings scheduled for Xihe Holdings subsidiaries

Annual general meetings will be held from 1 to 2 September for An Hui Shipping, Nan Chiau Maritime and Nan Yi Maritime to receive updates on firms’ liquidation, according to notices.

Published

1 day ago

August 17, 2026

Admin

Several notices were published on the Government Gazette on Friday (14 August) regarding the annual general meetings to be held from 1 to 2 September for Xihe Holdings subsidiaries An Hui Shipping Pte Ltd, Nan Chiau Maritime and Nan Yi Maritime Pte Ltd.

Annual general meetings for An Hui Shipping are to be held on 1 September at the following times:

For the company and creditors: 3pm

Annual general meeting for Nan Chiau Maritime is to be held on 1 September at the following time:

For the company and creditors: 2pm

Annual general meeting for Nan Yi Maritime is to be held on 2 September at the following time:

For the company and creditors: 2pm

The agenda for all the meetings are:

To receive an update on the liquidation.
To receive an account of the Liquidators’ acts and dealings, and of the conduct of the winding up.

The following are the details of the liquidator:

Ho May Kee
Liquidator
c/o 8 Marina View
#40-04/05 Asia Square Tower 1
Singapore 018960

Photo credit: Benjamin Child
Published: 17 August, 2026

Legal

Singapore police arrest eight over alleged illegal MGO transaction off Tuas

SPF says preliminary investigations found that crew members of a Singapore-registered tugboat misappropriated MGO worth about SGD 10,570 without their company’s knowledge and sold it illegally.

Published

4 days ago

August 14, 2026

Admin

Singapore police arrest eight over alleged illegal MGO transaction off Tuas

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) on Thursday (13 August) said it has arrested eight men, aged between 25 and 54, for their suspected involvement in an illegal transaction of Marine Gas Oil (MGO).

On 13 August 2026 at about 1.05am, officers from the Police Coast Guard (PCG) conducted a check on a Singapore-registered tugboat in the waters off Tuas and discovered that eight crew members were possibly involved in the illegal transaction of MGO.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the crew members of the tugboats misappropriated MGO valued at about SGD 10,570 (USD 8,258), without their company’s knowledge,” SPF said in a statement.

“The MGO was sold illegally for their personal financial gain.”

The eight crew members will be charged in court on 14 August 2026 with the offence of theft by servant of property in possession of master under Section 381 of the Penal Code 1871 If convicted, they shall be punished with an imprisonment term that may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine.

“The Police take a serious view of illegal transaction of MGO in Singapore Territorial Waters and will continue to conduct enforcement and security checks to prevent, deter and detect such illicit activities in Singapore waters,” SPF added.

Photo credit: Singapore Police Force
Published: 14 August, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Liquidators of East Marine Pte Ltd issues notice of annual meeting

Annual meeting of the company and its creditors will be held at 8 Wilkie Road, #03-08 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095 via audio-visual conference on 20 August at 11am.

Published

6 days ago

August 12, 2026

Admin

A notice of annual meeting was issued by liquidators of East Marine Pte Ltd, which is in creditor’s voluntary liquidation, on the Government Gazette on Friday (7 August).

According to the notice, the annual meeting of the company and its creditors will be held at 8 Wilkie Road, #03-08 Wilkie Edge, Singapore 228095 via audio-visual conference on 20 August at 11am.

The purpose of the meeting is to have an account laid before the meeting showing the acts and dealings of the liquidators and the conduct of the winding up in the preceding year.

The following are the details of the liquidators:

Ng Kian Kiat
Yap Hui Li
Liquidators
c/o 8 Wilkie Road
#03-08 Wilkie Edge
Singapore 228095

Photo credit: steve pb from Pixabay
Published: 12 August, 2026