Business

MPA: Due diligence carried out prior to recent Singapore methanol bunkering pilot

MPA held a firefighting programme to prepare its staff involved in maritime operations and decarbonisation, researchers and crew members for the op.

Published

3 years ago

August 1, 2023

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The Maritime and Port Authority Singapore (MPA) on Tuesday (1 August) said MPA held a firefighting programme to prepare MPA staff involved in maritime operations and decarbonisation, researchers and crew members for Singapore’s first methanol bunkering operation.

The programme was conducted by the Co-operative of SCDF Employees Ltd (COSEM).

Eng Dih Teo, Chief Executive of MPA, said maritime electrification and the introduction of new maritime fuels such as methanol for propulsion will bring about new unknowns and challenges, particularly in the beginning.

“As part of preparing Singapore’s maritime industry, operators, crew, engineers and response teams, we can learn and adapt from past incidents, safety studies and modelling, experience in transporting traded chemicals and from firms in adjacent industries such as energy and chemical storage, and reduce identified risks to below thresholds,” he said in a social media post.

He added methanol has a low flash point at 11°C where it gives off sufficient vapour to be ignited, with a flammability range of 6 to 36.5% by volume in air. The methanol flame is a clear one that may not be easy to spot, especially during the day.

“Methanol, as a flammable solvent, is a Class B fire when ignited and is put out by dry powder or foam. While water can put out fires from normal combustibles (Class A) such as paper, methanol still burns with up to four parts water and one part methanol,” he said.

“Therefore, operators and crew are well-trained to don their suits and not use water.”

Eng shared a video summarising segments of the firefighting course customised to help the crew to detect via handheld thermal sensors, portable gas detectors or the novel use of drones with thermal cameras and put out such fires more effectively, and be confident to address various scenarios.

“Advance warnings from the Meteorological Services or lightning detectors on ships can also help the crew reaction time to adjust and cease operations,” Eng said.

“Our methanol bunkering preparations are an opportunity for our maritime ecosystem to raise competencies and the more prepared we are collectively, the higher our readiness to enable and support the global shipping community.”

He concluded that MPA will refine the course curriculum with its partners to ensure personnels will be prepared for more safe operations ahead.

Manifold Times previously reported Maersk and Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd successfully conducted the world’s first ship-to-containership methanol bunkering operation of a Maersk’s container vessel on 27 July 2023 at the Raffles Reserved Anchorage in Singapore.

This was also Singapore’s first methanol bunkering operation.

Later, Manifold Times also reported The Methanol Institute (MI) stating the successful completion of Singapore’s first methanol bunkering pilot has given the republic a lead in adopting methanol as a marine fuel.

MI added the milestone operation between a Maersk containership and Hong Lam Marine tanker MT Agility was the first in Asia to feature a methanol-fuelled containership, and not a commercial product carrier transporting methanol.

Marine fuels testing company VPS was also the first company to complete a methanol bunker quantity survey (BQS) operation during Singapore’s first methanol bunkering operation.

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority Singapore
Published: 1 August, 2023

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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.

Published

17 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

17 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

17 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