China Petroleum Circulation Association (CPCA) and the China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association (CIQA) recently released two group standards: "Marine Methanol Fuel Waterborne Refuelling Regulations" and "Marine Methanol Fuel”, according to China Marine Bunker (PetroChina) Co., Ltd. (Chimbusco) on Thursday (28 September). 

Chimbusco, the firm which initiated the standards, said this was the first set of standards in China for methanol refuelling operations and quality control, which fills a gap in the domestic market. 

The introduction took place at the Green Methanol Refuelling Capacity Building Conference during the Global Sustainable Transportation Forum and the 15th International Exhibition on Transportation Technology & Equipment.

Meanwhile, China Classification Society (CCS) and Bureau Veritas (BV) issued Approval in Principles (AIPs) for a 7,800-tonne dual-fuel powered green methanol bunkering vessel to Chimbusco and Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry.

“The vessel is also a new type of green methanol bunkering vessel that has obtained certificates from two classification societies simultaneously, setting a solid technical foundation for massive production in the future,” Chimbusco said. 

“The release of these standards, along with the approval of the 7,800-tonne dual-fuel powered green methanol bunkering vessel by two classification societies, signifies a major step towards completing the first green methanol refueling technology chain in China.”

Chimbusco added the achievement is complemented by the establishment of relevant methanol refueling guidelines and inspection specifications by CCS and BV.

Alex Gregg-Smith, Senior Vice President of BV, emphasised that this vessel is the first of its kind designed in China and represents a significant milestone in the shipping industry's decarbonisation efforts, while demonstrates promising progress in the construction of the methanol supply chain.

Zhao Yan, Vice President of CCS, said the green methanol bunkering vessel has been designed with the concept of "full life cycle". 

It features twin engines and twin oars, a domestically made four-stroke methanol dual-fuel main engine, a liquid cargo pump in the form of a machine belt, a pre-installed berthing perception system, and a remote-control refuelling arm operation system.

“These advanced technologies showcase the industry's cutting-edge advancements and highlight the ship's green, intelligent, and digital characteristics,” Zhao Yan said. 

Manifold Times previously reported Chimbusco releasing the first draft of Code of Practice for Marine Methanol Bunkering on the China National Institute of Standardisation website for feedback from the bunkering industry.

The draft outlined a comprehensive guide for methanol bunkering operations, safety procedures, and streamlining, standardising and tabulating the risk assessment of bunkering.

Related: China: Chimbusco releases methanol bunkering code of practice draft to industry
Related: CSSC receives CCS AiP for China’s first truck-to-ship methanol bunkering safety measures

Photo credit: Chimbusco
Published: 3 October, 2023

Tsuneishi Shipbuilding on Monday (2 October) said it has received an order for four methanol-fuelled 5,900 TEU container carriers. 

This is the third order for a methanol-fuelled vessel following the KAMSARMAX AEROLINE and TESS66 AEROLINE, and the first order for a methanol-powered container carrier. 

The vessel will be installed with a MITSUI-MAN B&W 6G80ME-C10.5- LGIM-EGRTC, a dual-fuel methanol and heavy oil main engine manufactured by MITSUI E&S Co., Ltd., and which will be the first in Japan to be installed.

The 5,900 TEU type container carrier is the largest container carrier built by Tsuneishi Shipbuilding Group. It can carry up to 5,915 20-foot-equivalent-unit containers in the hold and on deck, and up to 1,400 reefer containers also can be loaded in response to increased demand in recent years. 

In addition to the improved hull form and MT-FAST, an energy-saving technology, the adoption of a large-capacity shaft generator has enabled this dual-fuel vessel to achieve both top-class loading performance and excellent fuel economy compared with fuel oil vessels in the same segment.

This vessel has been developed based on the concept of a final solution for the zero CO₂ emission vessel through the use of green methanol. 

Tsuneishi Shipbuilding said all on-board generators, HiMSEN engine (8H32DF-LM) which will be supplied by HD Hyundai, can also be methanol-fuelled, making it possible to achieve carbon neutrality with the exception of a small amount of pilot fuel.

In addition, the vessel has equipment to receive large-capacity alternative maritime power supply and zero CO₂ emissions can be achieved by shutting down the generators while anchoring. 

Tsuneishi Shipbuilding said it has already developed and received orders for methanol-fuelled designs for its main product, KAMSARMAX AEROLINE and TESS66 AEROLINE, and will launch more methanol-fuelled vessels.

Photo credit: Tsuneishi Shipbuilding
Published: 3 October, 2023

Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) on Friday (29 September) said businesses can look forward to a slew of new international and Singapore standards and accreditation programmes in areas such as greenhouse gas reporting, decarbonisation and renewable energy in the next two to three years. 

These efforts will be spearheaded by EnterpriseSG, together with the Singapore Standards Council (SSC) and Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC).

Among local standards and accreditation programmes that being developed in the pipeline are:

• A methanol and ammonia bunkering standard that will cover refuelling, operational and safety requirements for the delivery of methanol and ammonia, guiding the local maritime industry in their transition to sustainable alternative fuels. The standard is planned for 2025.
• Standard on hydrogen refuelling to guide the transportation of hydrogen and operational and safety requirements of refuelling stations. This standard will support companies in their trial of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and the associated refuelling operations and infrastructure development. The standard is planned for 2025.
• New standards that will assist the decarbonisation and net zero emission targets of harbourcrafts operating in Singapore. Expected to be developed by 2025, these standards aim to standardise the deployment of charging stations in Singapore to ensure compatibility and interoperability. This will ensure that the charging infrastructure in Singapore can support different types of electric harbourcrafts.

These efforts will be spearheaded by EnterpriseSG, together with the Singapore Standards Council (SSC) and Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC).

EnterpriseSG will work with SSC and SAC to introduce and revise more than 25 sustainability-related national standards and accreditation programmes over the next two years. 

These programmes cover a wide range of sustainability capabilities – from standards targeted to accelerate decarbonisation efforts in the energy and maritime sectors, to sector-agnostic standards to help enterprises improve their environmental performance in carbon emissions, energy, water efficiency and material management.

Ms Choy Sauw Kook, Director-General (Quality & Excellence), Enterprise Singapore, said: “Given the global emphasis on sustainability, it is essential for companies to adopt standards and use accredited testing, inspection, and certification services to strengthen sustainability practices, which builds trust and confidence in Singapore’s products and services.”

“EnterpriseSG, together with our national Standards and Accreditation Councils, will continue to elevate Singapore’s participation in sustainability standards and accreditation programme development and adoption at the international level. Locally, we will also roll out standards and accreditation programmes in key emerging areas including renewable energy and decarbonisation over the next few years. These efforts are expected to benefit more than 1,000 companies.”

Mr Tay Jih-Hsin, Chairman of the Singapore Standards Council, said: “Standards continue to play an integral role in enabling enterprises to build new sustainability capabilities. The SSC will continue to work in developing standards that support enterprises on their sustainability journey. We will also expand our active participation in international standards committees such as the ISO and IEC to raise the profile of Singapore’s sustainability push and connect local companies to more overseas stakeholders.”

Photo credit: Enterprise Singapore
Published: 2 October, 2023