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Bunker industry veteran Simon Neo discusses short/long term future bunker fuels in line with IMO goals

Cost of alternative bunker fuels, bunker operations and technology advancement are some considerations to be examined by the maritime industry, says Neo, director of SDE International Pte Ltd.

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The maritime industry must be ready to look into the cost of future bunkering operations and marine fuels as well as technology advancement that can help reduce operational losses while increasing transparency of quantities being delivered.

This was the conclusion reached by Singapore bunker industry veteran Simon Neo, Director of SDE International Pte Ltd during his presentation at the Colombo International Maritime and Logistics Conference 2022 on 1 November.

During his session titled Future of Bunker Fuels, Neo highlighted future bunker fuels for the short and long term with the impending IMO 2030/2050 targets.

“Availability is one of the biggest headaches the maritime industry is facing with regards to alternative fuels,” he said.

He elaborated this with a pool of unanswered common questions among industry stakeholders:

“Which bunker ports would offer all grades of different future fuels, which are carbon friendly or even zero carbon? When it comes to ship engines, do we need to modify, rebuild, or change new engines that can burn different types of alternative fuels? Even for newbuildings, shipowners have to carefully consider their choice of fuel before constructing,” he said.

He deemed short term fuels to be those that may not meet the zero carbon mark such as biofuels, LNG and methanol but he emphasised that this does not mean fossil fuel will cease to exist just yet.

“VLSFO can be considered a short term solution as it will continue to be used by some shipowners. So fossil fuel will still be around in 2030,” Neo said.

However, by 2050, he said fossil fuels would need to be “discounted” as it would not meet the zero carbon requirement unless there were methods to totally eliminate carbon from the fuel usage. Instead, he suggested long-term fuels such as green methanol, green LNG, green hydrogen, blue hydrogen and ammonia may be the best options to meet IMO 2050 requirements.

Another approaching issue on future fuels he touched on was compliance efforts in line with new fuels coming into the market where he drew examples from around the world.

“Singapore is looking into EBDN or Electronic BDN or some may call it digital bunkering to ensure compliance. In Europe, we can see many companies coming out to introduce EBDN or digital bunkering programmes as well as blockchain systems to establish a digital record of a batch of fuel throughout its lifecycle.”

Neo viewed shipowners and bunker buyers are not only the ones exploring options for digital bunkering.

“Banks are also scrutinising digital bunkering as they are very concerned about the loans or overdraft facility that are given out to bunker suppliers,” Neo said, while adding mass flow meters (MFMs) are also being looked into for transparency and accuracy.

RelatedSingapore: Players complete first ‘live’ bunker delivery financing pilot with eBDN

 

Photo credit: SDE International Pte Ltd
Published: 14 November, 2022

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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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