Golden Island completes world’s largest ethanol bunkering operation in Singapore

Milestone

Published Sat, 17th October 2026
by Admin

The operation, which also marked Singapore’s first ethanol bunkering, involved the transfer of about 5,000 mt of ISCC-certified bioethanol to Singapore-registered boxship “Maersk Halifax”.

Bunker supplier Golden Island Pte Ltd on Saturday (17 October) successfully delivered Singapore’s first ethanol bunkering operation in partnership with A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) and PSA Singapore, with the support of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

Conducted at PSA’s Pasir Panjang Terminal, the operation marked the world’s largest single ethanol bunkering volume to date, transferring approximately 5,000 metric tonnes of ISCC- certified bioethanol to the Singapore-registered dual-fuel container vessel Maersk Halifax.

The operation was completed simultaneously with live cargo operations (SIMOPS) using a Mass Flow Meter (MFM) system from Golden Island’s Singapore-registered IMO Type II chemical tanker, M.T. Golden Centaurus.

Ethanol shares similar handling characteristics with methanol and is recognised under the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) safety guidelines for methyl/ethyl alcohol fuels.

The company said it is building on its existing methanol bunkering experience to expand its capability to supply alternative marine fuels.

Golden Island is one of the three companies selected to receive a licence by the MPA to supply methanol as a marine fuel in the Port of Singapore. The methanol bunkering licence is valid for five years, which commenced from 1 January 2026.

Key highlights of the bunkering operation

Record-Breaking Scale: Bunkered ~5,000 MT of ISCC-certified bioethanol, setting a global record for the largest volume of ethanol transferred in a single bunkering operation.
Operational Efficiency: Executed as a simultaneous operation (SIMOPS) alongside container cargo handling, minimizing turnaround time.
End-to-End Supply Chain Efficiency: Stolthaven Singapore leveraged its dedicated systems and operational expertise to ensure the safe and efficient storage, handling, inter-tank transfers, loading, and discharge of the ethanol cargo.
Pioneering Technology & Safety: Utilised Mass Flow Metering (MFM) to ensure accurate measurement while adhering to rigorous safety protocols established during a joint Hazard Identification (HAZID) and Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP) workshop.
Regulatory Development: Data gathered from the operation will help adapt Singapore’s existing methanol technical reference (TR 129) and MFM system for future commercial ethanol bunkering.

Mr. Johnny Tan, Managing Director, Golden Island Pte Ltd, said: “We are proud to have delivered Singapore’s first ethanol bunkering, and to have done it alongside live cargo operations, using a mass flow meter. Our crew and Golden Centaurus built on what we learned in methanol bunkering and followed the same safety-first discipline. That let us deliver the largest single ethanol bunker to date safely and on time.”

“We thank MPA, Maersk, PSA, and Stolthaven for their close collaboration. Golden Island will keep investing in the people, vessels, and know-how needed to supply lower-carbon fuels, so that customers can choose the fuel that best meets their decarbonisation goals in the Port of Singapore.”

Shipping giant Maersk has been exploring ethanol as a potential marine fuel since conducting its first trial in October 2025, and has since expanded its trials.

Prior to the Singapore operation, Maersk completed the first ship-to-ship commercial ethanol bunkering of a deep-sea container vessel in the United States.

Photo credit: Golden Island Pte Ltd
Published: 17 October, 2026

Golden Island completes world’s largest ethanol bunkering operation in Singapore

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