Business

LNG Marine Fuel Institute changes name to Clean Marine Fuel Institute

Change of name to better reflect the global shipping industry’s changing focus to decarbonising marine fuels, says Clean MFI CEO Margot Matthews.

Published

6 years ago

December 8, 2020

Admin

The LNG Marine Fuel Institute (LNG MFI) on Monday (7 December) changed its name to the Clean Marine Fuel Institute (Clean MFI) to better reflect the global shipping industry’s changing focus to decarbonising marine fuels.

Clean MFI CEO Margot Matthews said when the institute was first established in 2017, the focus of the maritime industry was on the human health impacts of shipping—specifically SOx (sulphur) and also NOx (nitrogen oxides) and particulates.

“This was driven by impending sulphur regulations from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), a specialised UN agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships,” according to Ms Matthews.

“Back then, discussions around alternative marine fuels were limited primarily to liquefied natural gas (LNG), as it addressed particulate reduction and significantly reduced SOx and NOx emissions with a material reduction (30+ percentage) in greenhouse gases.

“However, as 2020 approached and with the IMO having primarily dealt with the sulphur regulations, the IMO’s focus shifted to developing regulations around decarbonising shipping and its ambition for the international shipping industry to reduce its average carbon intensity by up to 40 per cent by 2030 and 70 per cent in 2050, compared to 2008.

“At Clean MFI we understand that this will take time. Currently, there are no zero-emission alternative fuels available commercially. To enable these, both the technology and regulations are being developed in parallel with fuel supply.

Ms Matthews said using a two-pronged approach to the goal of decarbonising global shipping would mean growing the existing LNG ship fleet and bunkering capacity, while at the same time working efficiently and effectively on developing zero-emission fuels.

“It’s not a case of doing one or the other – we need both,” she said. “To reach the goals of the IMO we need to be working together on zero emission fuels as the ultimate objective and using cleaner fuels such as LNG during the transition period.”

“The IMO GHG emission targets create opportunities for us to adopt alternative marine fuels and, along with our members, we are committed to making this happen,” Ms Matthews concluded. “Our success will be measured through how efficiently, effectively and sustainably we are able to help our members turn this into a reality.”

Photo credit and source: Clean Marine Fuel Institute
Published: 8 December, 2020

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.

Published

12 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

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.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

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.

Published

12 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

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.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

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.

Published

12 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

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