Singapore: Golden Island to start green methanol bunkering trials with IMO type 2 newbuilding

Methanol

Published Wed, 2nd April 2025
by Admin

“Golden Antares” is scheduled to depart a Chinese shipyard by end April; it will lift green methanol cargo from China back to Singapore.

Singapore bunker supplier Golden Island Pte Ltd is planning to start bunkering trials of green methanol with its newbuild Singapore-flagged 7,999 dwt IMO type 2 bunker tanker from July, learns Manifold Times.

“The Golden Antares is scheduled to depart a Chinese shipyard by end April,” shared Tomohiro Yamano, General Manager, Marine Fuel Department.

“We are planning for it to lift the product from Towngas (Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited) which has obtained ISCC EU and ISCC PLUS certifications for green methanol before sailing back with the cargo to Singapore for bunkering trials.”

“We are also working together with Mitsubishi Corporation to purchase green methanol from them.

“With the above steps in place, we ensure green methanol marine fuel provided by Golden Island offers Carbon Intensity (CI) savings of more than 75% when compared against the CI of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) material.”

Yamano-san noted the mass flowmeter (MFM) equipped newbuilding has a 6,500 metric tonne (mt) carrying capacity for methanol.

The cargo will be deposited to a Stolthaven Singapore operated terminal prior to the start of MFM trials in July.

“Singapore’s maritime sector is rapidly evolving and improving to keep up with the times,” he said.

“In late 2023, Golden Island became the first Singapore bunker supplier to adopt 100% e-BDN operations. We were also pioneers to test B30 product in the same year.

“Now, we want to promote change towards sustainable shipping by being amongst the first bunker suppliers to offer a green methanol marine fuel package for receiving vessels lifting bunkers at the republic.”

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), through the Singapore Standards Council (SSC), on 10 March published a new Technical Reference (TR) 129 on Methanol Bunkering to provide a comprehensive framework for the safe and efficient use of methanol as an alternative fuel for bunkering operations.

Yamano-san confirmed green methanol marine fuel supplied by the company will adhere to protocols set by TR 129.

MPA has also recently opened applications for licences to supply methanol as a marine fuel in Singapore. This follows the finalisation of Singapore’s methanol bunkering licensing framework and standards, which incorporated input from over 50 proposals received under MPA’s Expression of Interest (EOI) launched in December 2023, as well as methanol bunkering trials and operations conducted in Singapore since 2023.

Photo credit: Golden Island
Published: 2 April 2025

Singapore: Golden Island to start green methanol bunkering trials with IMO type 2 newbuilding

Related Posts