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Appeals for investigations into VLSFO as possible cause behind increasing ship incidents

VLSFO was rushed into the maritime industry to meet IMO2020 regulations and it has shown signs of exceeding set safety parameters, reports Forbes.

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Nishan Degnarain, founder of Breakthrough Ocean Ventures and contributor at Forbes on Wednesday (20 January) published an article regarding the possibility of (Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil) VLSFO as the reason for causing various ship incidents over the past year, such as engine failures and oil spills.

In the article, Degnarain refers to VLSFO as an ‘experimental new type of ship fuel’ that has shown signs of exceeding safety parameters set by engine manufacturers and could possibly release higher greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuel.

One of the stated reasons behind this is the fuel was rushed into the maritime industry to meet IMO2020 regulations that was set by the International Maritime Organization to sidestep criticisms for the industry not being compliant with the Paris Climate Agreement, he said. 

Various environmental organisations like Ocean Rebellion have called for the industry to ‘come clean’ and be more transparent about what is in this new breed of fuel.

Some other concerns include insufficient consultation with seafarers prior to the introduction of the fuel which led to incidents like Panama-flagged tanker MT New Diamond which caught fire after an engine explosion off the Sri Lankan coast.

Similarly, the survivors of Gulf Livestock 1 reported an engine failure that ultimately led to the vessel’s sinking.

Dr. Sian Prior, Arctic Alliance Lead Advisor to Clean Arctic Alliance, a coalition made of non-profit organisations (NGO), has made multiple statements regarding the damaging nature of VLSFO especially when used in the arctic.

Dr. Prior urges for the shipping industry to ultimately ‘must move away from its dependence on fossil fuels both in the Arctic and globally’.

Other environmental NGO leaders cited in the article expressed similar sentiments for the shipping industry to permanently move away from burning any form of fossil fuels.

In the article, Degnarain also alleges that Governments around the world have admitted to not accurately monitoring if VLSFO complies with safety standards.

Meanwhile, there is evidence that VLSFO is both more carbon intensive – because of the refining process – and can have poorer performance than heavy fuel oil.

Purportedly, engine manufacturers such as MAN Energy Solutions, a subsidiary of the German carmaker Volkswagen Group have observed that with the introduction of VLSFO, there was an increase in mechanical issues due to off spec fuel like an increased wearing in the engine liners.

While there is no clear-cut solution, NGO leaders generally agreed that governments need to ‘comprehensively’ regulate emissions within their national waters, and aggressively pursue the ‘zero-emissions’ pathway, while the IMO has a critical role to play in formalizing global best practices within the industry.

Degnarain also warns against intermittent solutions that would cause similar problems in the future such as the use of liquified natural gas (LNG) as a transition fuel.


Photo credit: International Maritime Organisation
Published: 28 January, 2021

 

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Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

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RESIZED Sora Shimazaki on Pexels

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July). 

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions. 

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Related: Singapore: Hin Leong Founder OK Lim gets jail term slashed to 13.5 years

 

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

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Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

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RESIZED Drew Beamer

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

  • That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

  • that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
  • that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
  • that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd. 

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Related: Singapore: Director declares Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping’s inability to continue business
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping in court over DBS Bank bunker tanker loan
Related: Singapore: Bunker tanker “Coastal Neptune” arrested
Related: Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping, Coastal Logistics tankers enter S&P market

 

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

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LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

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PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. 

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post. 

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024. 

 

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026

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