The 7th International Petroleum and Natural Gas Enterprises Conference (IPEC) is taking place at Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, China between 16 to 17 October.

 The agenda, provided by the Zhoushan High-tech Zone Administrative Committee to foreign event media partner Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times, is as follows:

16 October

• Registration and sign-in for participating guests
• Meetings between Zhejiang Provincial and Zhoushan Municipal leaders with VIPs

17 October

Morning

Plenary Session of the Conference (Oriental Hall, Zhoushan International Conference Center)

• Leader’s speech, guest keynote speech, signing of major projects

Discussion Topics [*17 October, 2pm to 5pm]

Focus Topic Meeting: Global marine bunker development*
Location: Haitian Hall, Haizhongzhou International Hotel, Zhoushan

14:00-14:05 - Opening of the Meeting

14:05-14:15 - Speech by Leaders

14:15-14:30 - Announcement of "Top Ten Global Bunkering Ports" and "Top Ten Global Bunkering Companies"

14:30-14:40 - Announcement of Construction Work of Northeast Asia Bonded Marine Fuel Bunkering Hub

14:40-14:50 – Launch ceremony of Zhoushan "White-list" Bunker Barge Mass Flow Meter System Pilot Certification Programme

14:50-15:10 - Signing Ceremony

15:10-16:10 - Keynote speech

16:10-16:35 - Coffee break

16:35-17:05 - Roundtable forum (Topic: Facing green and low-carbon transformation in global shipping, how do marine fuels change in response to the trend?)

17:05-17:35 - Roundtable forum (Topic: The road to develop high-quality offshore fuel bunkering metering under the new developments)

17:35-17:40 - Moderator’s summary

Utilising financial innovation, futures and spot cooperation to promote the construction of a hub for the allocation of bulk commodity resources*
Location: Putuo Hall, Zhoushan International Conference Center

Open development of global shipping trade*
Location: Donghai Hall, Hilton Zhoushan

International iron ore trade development*
Location: Banquet Hall 1/3, The Westin Zhujiajian Resort, Zhoushan

Development of China's new chemical materials industry during the “15th Five-Year Plan”*
Location: Banquet Hall 1/3, The Westin Zhujiajian Resort, Zhoushan

Development of non-ferrous metal mining industry*
Location: Lianhua Ocean Hall, Hilton Zhoushan

16 and 17 October
International maritime law of the free trade port (zone)
Location: Fortune Hall, Zhoushan CaiFu Hotel

 

Photo credit: Zhoushan High-tech Zone Administrative Committee
Published: 11 October, 2024

Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), through the Singapore Standards Council (SSC), will launch a new Singapore Standard (SS) 709 Specification for Digital Bunkering Supply Chain Documentation, according to Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Wednesday (9 October). 

MPA said the new standard will ensure data consistency and interoperability between digital systems and facilitate smoother transactions through trusted and verifiable digital bunkering documents. 

This comes following Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and the Ministry of Transport, announcing that from 1 April 2025, all bunker suppliers will be required to provide digital bunkering services and issue electronic bunker delivery notes (e-BDNs) as a default.

The move was decided following successful pilots conducted since 1 November 2023 with bunker suppliers, including the top 10 bunker players, in Singapore.

To further enhance transparency and transaction integrity in bunkering operations, MPA will also introduce a centralised e-BDN record verification facility. This enables key stakeholders to verify the e-BDN received against the information transmitted to MPA.

EnterpriseSG has also launched the revised Singapore Standard (SS) 648 Code of Practice for Bunker Mass Flow Metering to include data integrity and transmission requirements in line with this new digital standard.

In the first eight months of 2024, MPA said Singapore saw strong growth of approximately 7% in total bunker sales over the same period last year, reaching over 36 million tonnes. Biofuels and liquefied natural gas bunker sales surpassed 700,00 metric tonnes. 

To support the operationalisation of a higher mix of low-carbon alternative fuels, both EnterpriseSG and MPA are developing the Singapore standards for methanol bunkering and ammonia bunkering by 2024 and 2025 respectively. 

The standards will cover custody transfer requirements, safety procedures and crew competencies, to ensure safe bunkering operations and handling of these fuels.

MPA also announced that three major shipping lines — Hafnia, K-Line, and MOL — are in early discussions to join the Singapore - Port of Los Angeles (LA)- Port of Long Beach (LB) Green and Digital Shipping Corridor (GDSC) initiative.

Each partner would be expected to spearhead a project to advance the corridor’s decarbonisation and digitalisation goals, such as the adoption of net-zero fuels, Just-in-Time route optimisation, and energy efficiency technologies such as wind-assisted ship propulsion. 

The addition of the new partners will significantly strengthen the GDSC’s capacity to drive innovation in sustainable shipping practices and accelerate the adoption of zero/near-zero emission fuels and green technologies along the corridor.

Related: SIBCON 2024: Singapore bunker suppliers must provide e-BDN from 1 April 2025
Related: Singapore: TradeGo becomes fifth whitelisted e-BDN solution provider
Related: Singapore: MoUs on digital bunkering and eBDN signed at TechWaves conference
Related: DNV FuelBoss coverage expands to include conventional bunker fuels, whitelisting by MPA in process
Related: Singapore: MPA adds ADP Clear as whitelisted solution provider for e-BDN
Related: Singapore set to become first port in the world to debut electronic bunker delivery notes
Related: MPA Chief Executive: Port of Singapore begins digital bunkering initiative today
Related: Singapore: MPA publishes guidelines for bunker suppliers in preparation of e-BDN launch
Related: ZeroNorth enables Golden Island to become Singapore’s first 100% digital bunker supplier
Related: Photo essay: e-BDN trial of “One Truth” at Singapore port
Related: Hong Lam Marine ‘fully supportive’ of e-BDN implementation for Singapore bunkering sector
Related: ONE completes e-BDN adoption trial with Shell in Port of Singapore
Related: Singapore: Golden Island switching to 100% e-BDN operations from 1 December
Related: IBIA: International Maritime Organization confirms acceptance for electronic BDNs (update)
Related: IBIA: MEPC 80 confirms acceptance for electronic bunker delivery notes
Related: IBIA: IMO sub-committee accepts use of electronic BDNs after long discussion

 

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 10 October, 2024

From 1 April 2025, all bunker suppliers in the Port of Singapore will be required to provide digital bunkering services as a default, said Senior Minister of State for Transport and Sustainability and the Environment Amy Khor on Wednesday (9 October).

Khor said Singapore will be the first port globally to implement digital bunkering at scale. MPA launched the digital bunkering initiative on 1 November 2023, becoming the first port in the world to implement electronic bunker delivery notes (e-BDN).

“This initiative is expected to save the industry close to 40,000 man-days annually. In addition, MPA will introduce a centralised electronic Bunker Delivery Note record verification facility to enhance the transparency and integrity of transactions in bunkering operations,” she said in her speech at the 23rd Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON). 

She emphasised that the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will work closely with industry partners and the unions to digitalise and streamline processes to improve efficiency in our port; strengthen our capabilities for the bunkering of future fuels and encourage adoption of these fuels; and upskill our workforce to facilitate the green transition. 

Khor also made the following announcements:

• From 1 April 2025, MPA will reduce the frequency of verification checks for mass flow meters from twice a year currently, to once a year. Singapore was the first port globally to adopt mass flow meters in 2017, and this new move is expected to help the industry save approximately $300,000 annually.
• From 1 January 2025, MPA will roll out two innovative AI applications, DocuMind and DocuMatch, developed in collaboration with cloud service providers to drive greater efficiency in our port. These are expected to accelerate certificate processing time from up to three days currently, to a few minutes for most transactions.
• Two ammonia bunkering proposals by Mitsui and Fortescue-Equatorial Marine Fuels have been selected by the consortia for the next round of Request for Proposal to provide a low- or zero-carbon ammonia solution on Jurong Island for power generation and bunkering.
• MPA will commit $50 million to support the implementation of the refreshed Maritime Singapore Green Initiative, to further encourage the early adoption of green fuels and technologies across the maritime industry.
• Singapore will continue to strengthen international partnerships through initiatives like the Green and Digital Shipping Corridors (GDSCs) to enable the digitalisation and decarbonisation of shipping. On 9 October, MPA and the Shandong Provincial Transport Department will be signing the Singapore-Shandong GDSC at the sidelines of the 25th Singapore-Shandong Business Council co-chaired by Mr Chee Hong Tat, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Finance, and Mr Zhou Naixiang, Governor of the Shandong Provincial Government.

 

Photo credit: Singapore Ministry of Transport
Published: 9 October, 2024