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SMW 2026: Singapore explores remote operations for LNG bunkering with industry project

Senior Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai said MPA is supporting a Joint Industry Project between DNV, Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services and Singapore Institute of Technology.

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SMW 2026: Singapore explores remote operations for LNG bunkering with industry project

Singapore is prioritising the use of autonomous technology at its port terminals, Senior Minister of State for Transport Murali Pillai said on Wednesday (22 April), citing plans outlined in the country’s Maritime Technology and Research Roadmap.

The roadmap was announced yesterday by Acting Transport Minister Jeffrey Siow highlighting the research and development priorities Singapore will invest more than $100 million over the next five years. 

One of the initiatives include the government studying the use of remote operations for LNG bunkering. MPA is supporting a Joint Industry Project between DNV, Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).

Singapore will also be launching a call for design proposals for an autonomous inter-gateway container feeder — a vessel that transfers containers between terminals.

“These two initiatives will explore remote and autonomous technologies, realtime monitoring and remote vessel operations, allowing us to establish new operational frameworks,” he said.

Mr Murali also said Singapore is preparing its port for a multi-fuel future by developing operational standards for alternative marine fuels given the unique challenges and risks posed by these fuels.

He said operational standards set out safety protocols, guidelines for crew training, and regulations on the safe handling of alternative fuels. 

“By coordinating efforts across stakeholders, including shipowners, ports, and fuel suppliers, we can accelerate our collective shift towards cleaner marine fuels,” he said in his opening remarks of Day 2 of the Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2026 at Suntec Convention Centre. 

Over the past three years, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has conducted extensive safety studies and fuel trials to inform the standards Singapore is developing. This includes two for ammonia and four for methanol.

“Last year, we published the Technical Reference on Methanol Bunkering. We are currently developing Singapore’s first Technical Reference for Ammonia Bunkering and will share more details subsequently,” he said.

He added that the city-state is developing an electric harbour craft charging infrastructure plan, based on detailed studies of the routes and needs of crew transfer and cargo supply vessels.

Recognising that infrastructural provisions are necessary for electric harbour craft to gain traction, Singapore intends to deploy chargers at key terminals and piers such as Marina South Pier, West Coast Pier and within the Western Industrial Area in the coming years.

“By 2030, we aim to expand the network of public chargers across Singapore’s southern coastline,” he said.

“We will also trial the use of battery-powered charging solutions to provide greater flexibility for harbour craft operations.”

He acknowledged that there are challenges remaining, including the high upfront costs of electric harbour craft which the government is addressing by working closely with industry to study how to bridge this gap.

“MPA and our local shipping associations convened the Harbour Craft Decarbonisation Taskforce in October last year and the Taskforce has concluded its work. The Singapore Government looks forward to receiving the recommendations and will study them thoroughly,” he said.

 

Photo credit: Murali Pillai
Published: 22 April, 2026

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Ammonia

Amogy and LOTTE Fine Chemical to explore ammonia bunkering in South Korea

Under a MoU, both will explore supplying ammonia to vessels equipped with Amogy’s Ammonia-to-Power technology, leveraging LFC’s ammonia terminal at Ulsan Port and ship-bunkering capabilities.

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Amogy, LOTTE Fine Chemical to explore ammonia bunkering in South Korea

Ammonia-to-power solutions provider Amogy and LOTTE Fine Chemical Co Ltd (LFC) on Thursday (10 September) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly advance ammonia-to-hydrogen and ammonia-to-power solutions in South Korea.

Under the MoU, Amogy and LFC will explore collaboration across three priority areas that combine LFC’s ammonia supply and infrastructure capabilities with Amogy’s downstream ammonia cracking and power generation technology.

In hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, LFC would supply green ammonia through its overseas procurement and domestic infrastructure, with Amogy’s ammonia cracking technology converting the ammonia into high-purity hydrogen on-site for use at hydrogen refueling stations. 

For distributed ammonia-to-power generation at commercial and community-scale sites, LFC would provide ammonia supply, storage, and logistics, while Amogy would provide its Ammonia-to-Power generation modules, including fuel cell or internal combustion engine configurations. 

In marine ammonia bunkering, the companies would explore supplying ammonia to vessels equipped with Amogy’s Ammonia-to-Power technology, leveraging LFC’s ammonia terminal at Ulsan Port and ship-bunkering capabilities.

“As Korea continues to build out its clean ammonia and hydrogen infrastructure, partnerships that connect upstream supply with downstream technology are essential to accelerating deployment,” said Seonghoon Woo, CEO of Amogy.

“LOTTE Fine Chemical’s ammonia infrastructure, paired with our ammonia-to-hydrogen and ammonia-to-power technology, gives us a strong foundation to advance hydrogen refuelling, distributed power, and marine applications across the region.”

“LFC has built the infrastructure to import, store, and supply ammonia safely and at scale, including the world’s first ship-bunkering supply of ammonia,” said Suk Min Hwang, Vice President of Ammonia Business Division at LOTTE Fine Chemical. 

“This collaboration with Amogy allows us to extend that infrastructure into new downstream applications, supporting Korea’s transition to a clean ammonia and hydrogen economy.”

LFC has achieved the world’s first commercial import of green ammonia in addition to the world’s first domestic ship-bunkering supply using green ammonia.

Amogy’s proprietary ammonia cracking technology enables the efficient conversion of ammonia into hydrogen, supporting both high-purity hydrogen production and ammonia-to-power generation across stationary, distributed, and marine applications.

Building on the MoU, Amogy and LFC will continue joint evaluation of collaboration opportunities across hydrogen refuelling, distributed power, and marine ammonia bunkering, with further details on project scope and timing to be finalised for execution.

 

Photo credit: Amogy
Published: 11 September, 2026

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Events

PIL’s new LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elan” makes maiden call in Singapore

“Kota Elan” is currently operating on PIL’s East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route that connects Asia with South America and is now on its way to Brazil.

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PIL’s new LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elan” makes maiden call in Singapore

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd (PIL) on Thursday (10 September) said its newest 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel Kota Elan made its maiden call in Singapore on 4 September. 

In a social media post, PIL said a ceremony was held on board the vessel where representatives from PSA Singapore presented a commemorative plaque to the Master of Kota Elan, Captain Thanabalan Govindaraju, marking its inaugural call at one of the world’s busiest and most connected ports.

The company said Kota Elan is currently operating on PIL’s East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route that connects Asia with South America. 

The vessel is now on its way to Brazil, before calling at Uruguay and Argentina, and then finally returning to Asia.

“As one of the latest additions to our growing fleet of greener vessels, Kota Elan reflects PIL’s commitment to building a more sustainable future for shipping through cleaner and more efficient operations,” the company said.

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 11 September, 2026

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Engine

Polaris Shipping orders WinGD engines capable of running on methanol, ethanol

Ability to operate on either fuel gives Polaris Shipping greater flexibility to respond to changes in fuel availability, pricing and regulatory requirements over the vessels’ operating lives.

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Polaris Shipping orders WinGD engines capable of running on methanol, ethanol

Swiss marine power company WinGD on Thursday (10 September) said it has won a contract that will give Polaris Shipping true fuel flexibility for its future Newcastlemax fleet with an order of four X72DF-M-1.0 engines that can operate on methanol and ethanol. 

The ability to operate on either fuel gives Polaris Shipping greater flexibility to respond to changes in fuel availability, pricing and regulatory requirements over the vessels’ operating lives and is a key benefit of WinGD’s alcohol-fuel engine platform.

The WinGD engines will power four 210,000 DWT Ore carriers being built for Polaris Shipping at Qingdao Beihai Shipbuilding Heavy Industry Co in China, with delivery scheduled for 2031. 

Dr. Carmelo Cartalemi, Head of Strategic Marketing, WinGD, said “Shipowners are looking for flexible solutions to help them meet their decarbonisation goals without compromising on reliability, safety or financial stability. 

“Our alcohol-fuel engine platform enables ships to operate on either ethanol or methanol, giving shipowners and managers the option to select the fuel that best fits their operational and commercial requirements. With fuel markets and regulations continuing to evolve, that flexibility can be a valuable asset over the lifetime of a vessel.”

The X72DF-M1.0 can run on methanol and ethanol. This provides flexibility between the two fuels, while maintaining compliance with the regulatory requirements applicable to both fuels.

WinGD will also provide dedicated service and lifecycle support for the new alcohol fuels, helping shipowners and operators build familiarity with the technology, optimise operation and maintenance, and adopt methanol and ethanol propulsion in a safe and economically sustainable way

Polaris Shipping, said: “Fuel availability and economics will continue to evolve over the lifetime of these vessels. Selecting an engine platform that gives us access to both methanol and ethanol means we can provide to our charter a greater choice in how the ships are operated in the future, rather than having to predict today which fuel will be most competitive in the years ahead. 

“We’re investing for the long-term, and this engine choice gives us the confidence to do that.”

The order adds to WinGD orderbook of alternative fuel engine technology, which now spans LNG, methanol, ethanol and ammonia. Beihai Shipyard is also working with WinGD on the installation of its ammonia-fuelled engine for CMB TECH’s newbuild 210,000 dwt dry bulk carriers. 

 

Photo credit: WinGD
Published: 11 September, 2026

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