Connect with us

Business

Equatorial Marine Fuel links one third of bunker tanker fleet to SGTraDex in push towards trust & transparency

‘We are proud to be amongst the first to show the successful steps taken by Singapore’s bunkering ecosystem to remain forward thinking and relevant,’ Choong Sheen Mao, Director of EMF, tells Manifold Times.

Admin

Published

on

Equatorial Marine Main Photo

Singapore bunker supplier Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services Pte Ltd (EMF) has connected one third of its bunker tanker fleet to the Singapore Trade Data Exchange (SGTraDex), learns bunkering publication Manifold Times.

The seven SGTraDex-linked bunker tankers, namely Sea Diligence, Sea Fortitude, Sea Bountiful, Sea Reliance, Golden Bravo, Sea Loyalty, and Sea Brilliance, represents part of EMF’s perpetual push towards the implementation of trust and transparency in business operations, states Choong Sheen Mao, Director of EMF.

“Having data securely sent from digital mass flow meters via the Internet of Things to the cloud for inspection by all counterparties severely reduces credit and fraud risk. This is a significant development for EMF,” he explains. 

“Moreover, the authenticity for a third of our bunkering transactions can now be tracked by reputed financial institutions using the SGTraDex digital infrastructure.

“We are proud to be amongst the first to showcase the successful steps taken by Singapore’s bunkering ecosystem to remain forward thinking and relevant, while demonstrating to the world SGTraDex is workable.

“Overall, the availability of SGTraDex for supporting marine refuelling operations represents an achievement for the entire Singapore bunkering sector. After all, this is a multiagency effort spanning a two-year period involving the whole bunker supply chain.”

Equatorial Marine Fuel links one third of bunker tanker fleet to SGTraDex in push towards trust & transparency

Singapore-based Brightree Pte Ltd, a solutions provider for the implementation of industrial Internet of Things, connected EMF’s seven mass flow meter (MFM) equipped bunkering vessels to SGTraDex.

“We upgraded communications systems on the marine refuelling tankers with an external antenna to send data from the bunker metering computer back to the SGTraDex network in Singapore,” explains Kevin Peng, Managing Director of Brightree.

“This is done via a router utilising both Singapore and Indonesia SIM cards. Connectivity is not a big problem, as data is simply backed up in dead zones with no GSM signals and automatedly resent to the server once connection has been re-established.

“Brightree’s digital bunkering solution emphasises a great deal on cyber security and data integrity. Users of our systems can be assured of the accuracy and integrity of bunkering digital documents.

“We have been involved with this bunker digitalisation project since 2018. The launch of the evolved SGTraDex platform represents a monumental step for Singapore’s bunkering sector. Brightree is proud to have been amongst key solution providers for this platform.” 

The seven EMF bunker tankers involved in the project are using MFMs manufactured by Emerson.

“Emerson, being an MPA-approved MFM system provider, has provided the Fuel Monitoring Bunkering systems onboard the EMF bunker vessels, and is glad to be involved in this SGTraDex initiative by EMF on digital bunker delivery notes,” says Yap Swee Choon, Site Leader for Emerson Process Management Marine Solutions Singapore Pte Ltd. 

“We are delighted to partake in this milestone of Singapore’s bunkering history.”

Equatorial Marine Fuel links one third of bunker tanker fleet to SGTraDex in push towards trust & transparency

Ms So Lay Hua, Head of Group Transaction Banking, UOB, said: “We are pleased to partner Equatorial Marine Fuel to drive digitalisation in the bunker industry. In an industry which traditionally relies heavily on the physical exchange of paper, going digital is key to enhancing efficiency and transparency.”

 “The use of digital bunker delivery notes allows banks to verify the authenticity of the underlying bunker transactions, giving banks greater confidence when financing transactions.”

“With SGTraDex enabling connectivity across bunker suppliers, service providers and banks through a single data highway, transmission of data to multiple parties can be done in a rapid and secure manner. This is critical to streamlining data flow across the supply chain and UOB is confident that this data super highway will help deliver process efficiency for our clients.”

SGTraDex was introduced in 2021; its founding partners include the Infocomm Media Development Authority of Singapore, PSA International, Trafigura, DBS Group, Jurong Port, OCBC Bank, Ocean Network Express, Oiltanking, Pacific International Lines, Standard Chartered, and UOB.

Amongst use case scenarios of the digital infrastructure was to provide real time visibility by digitalising documentation and processes associated with the delivery of bunkers. This improved transparency allows companies to reconcile actual usage and helps bunkering players enhance their operational efficiency and financing, close to real time. 

Manifold Times in July 2021 reported on Singapore’s live bunker delivery financing pilot transaction, in a prelude to the implementation of SGTraDex.

EMF in October 2020 launched its Online Tracking Tool, a free mobile responsive tracking tool for customers to check on the status of a bunker delivery.

Related: Singapore: Players complete first ‘live’ bunker delivery financing pilot with eBDN
Related: Equatorial Marine Fuel unveils OTT (Online Tracking Tool) to enhance bunker deliveries

Photo credit: SGTraDex
Published: 3 June, 2022

Continue Reading

Methanol

Chimbusco completes bunkering op of China’s first 16,000K TEU methanol DF boxship

“COSCO SHIPPING YANGPU” was supplied approximately 900 metric tonnes of methanol marine fuel by Chimbusco in Shanghai on 11 May.

Admin

Published

on

By

Chimbusco completes bunkering of China’s first 16,000K TEU methanol DF boxship

China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) Co Ltd (Chimbusco) completed a bunkering operation of the first domestically manufactured methanol dual-fuel container ship in Shanghai on 11 May, according to COSCO Shipping on Thursday (15 May). 

COSCO SHIPPING YANGPU was supplied approximately 900 metric tonnes (mt) of methanol marine fuel by Chimbusco at Pier 1 of COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry. 

The operation started on 7 May but was postponed due to unfavourable weather from the Jianghuai Cyclone.

Chimbusco completes bunkering of China’s first 16,000K TEU methanol DF boxship

COSCO Shipping said the operation marked an important achievement in green and low-carbon transformation in shipping, from ship construction and ecological layout of the entire green fuel industry chain of the company. 

Manifold Times previously reported the naming ceremony of China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship, COSCO SHIPPING YANGPU in Yangzhou.

The methanol dual-fuel container ship named was the first in a series of vessels from COSCO Shipping Holdings, constructed by COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Yangzhou. 

Related: COSCO Shipping names China’s first 16,000 TEU methanol dual-fuel container ship

 

Photo credit: Cosco Shipping
Published: 23 May, 2025

Continue Reading

Vessel Arrest

Malaysia: MMEA detains Thai tanker off Kelantan after shown suspicious documents

Initial checks revealed that insurance documents and other documents related to the vessel appeared suspicious and all six crew members on board failed to provide valid identification documents.

Admin

Published

on

By

Malaysia: MMEA detains Thai tanker off Kelantan after shown suspicious documents

The Kelantan Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) on Thursday (22 May) said it has detained a suspicious tanker at about 100 nautical miles from the Tok Bali estuary on 20 May. 

Kelantan MMEA director, Maritime Captain Erwan Shah Soahdi said an MMEA asset had detained the tanker while patrolling the Malaysia-Vietnam border. 

The vessel was detected after displaying several suspicious signs at around 1 pm before it was successfully detained 20 minutes later.

Malaysia: MMEA detains Thai tanker off Kelantan after shown suspicious documents

“Initial checks revealed the vessel has six crew members, including a captain and all are believed to be Thai citizens aged between 38 and 70,” he said.

It was also found that the insurance documents and other documents related to the vessel appeared suspicious and all the crews on board the vessel failed to provide valid identification documents during the check. 

The case is being investigated under the Immigration Act 1959/63 and the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952.

 

Photo credit: Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency
Published: 23 May, 2025

Continue Reading

LNG Bunkering

Shell wraps up its first LNG bunkering operation for TUI Cruises in Barcelona

Milestone was achieved by Shell’s LNG bunker barge “Haugesund Knutsen” supplying the “Mein Schiff Relax” cruise ship at Port of Barcelona, says Dexter Belmar of Shell.

Admin

Published

on

By

Shell wraps up its first LNG bunkering operation for TUI Cruises in Barcelona

Energy giant Shell recently conducted its first LNG bunkering operation for TUI Cruises in Barcelona, according to Dexter Belmar, General Manager and Head of Global Downstream LNG on Thursday (22 May).

He said the milestone was achieved by Shell’s LNG bunker barge Haugesund Knutsen supplying the Mein Schiff Relax cruise ship.

“Barcelona, one of Europe and the Mediterranean’s leading cruise ports, is also a key LNG bunkering location for Shell as we help more cruise ships transition to lower-emission fuels,” he said in a social media post. 

“A huge thank you to Royal Caribbean Group for their trust, and to Knutsen and Port of Barcelona for their collaboration in making this bunkering safe and efficient.”

Shell wraps up its first LNG bunkering operation for TUI Cruises in Barcelona

Belmar said LNG is leading the way as the preferred alternative bunker fuel in the cruise industry. 

“At Shell, we’re proud to support LNG fuelling needs at 26 locations worldwide, including major cruise ports like Bahamas, Barcelona, Canaveral, Everglades, Jamaica, Miami, Singapore, Southampton, and Tenerife,” he added. 

 

Photo credit: Shell
Published: 23 May, 2025

Continue Reading

Trending