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MPA: Glencore and PetroChina supplied contaminated bunkers to about 200 ships in the Port of Singapore

MPA preliminary investigations revealed that the affected marine fuel was supplied by Glencore Singapore Pte Ltd who later sold part of the same cargo to PetroChina International (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

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Bunkering Vessels at Singapore

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Wednesday (13 April) issued an update on the contaminated bunker fuel situation at Singapore:

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was notified on 14 March 2022 that a number of ships had been supplied with High Sulphur Fuel Oil (HSFO) containing high concentration levels of Chlorinated Organic Compounds (COC) (1,2-Dichloroethane, Tetrachloroethylene) in the Port of Singapore. MPA immediately contacted the relevant bunker suppliers to take necessary steps to stop supplying the affected fuel and to also inform all the ships that were supplied with the fuel to exercise caution when using it.

Preliminary investigations conducted by MPA revealed that the affected fuel – a blended product, was supplied by Glencore Singapore Pte Ltd (Glencore). Glencore informed MPA that on receiving reports of its fuel being contaminated, Glencore proceeded to test the fuels supplied by its sources used in its blended product, and discovered that one of them that was sourced from overseas had contained about 15000 ppm of COC. By the time of testing, Glencore had already sold part of the affected fuel to PetroChina International (Singapore) Pte Ltd (PetroChina), which in turn, had supplied to ships in the Port of Singapore.

To date, Glencore and PetroChina had supplied the affected fuel to about 200 ships in the Port of Singapore. Of these, about 80 ships have reported various issues with their fuel pumps and engines. MPA has conducted fuel sample tests for some of the affected ships and found elevated levels of COC in their fuel samples. This is the first case of fuel contamination due to high concentration levels of COC reported in Singapore in the past two decades.

Bunker fuel supplied in the Port of Singapore must meet the international standards of petroleum products of fuel – International Organization for Standardization 8217 (ISO 8217) [1]. The contaminated fuel purchased by Glencore was in compliance with ISO 8217. Glencore had also performed additional testing of the fuel based on the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D7845 [2]. Both ISO 8217 and ASTM D7845 do not test for COC.

MPA is currently in discussions with the industry on implementing additional fuel quality checks that would screen for unacceptable chemicals. MPA also intends to submit a paper on the fuel contamination with COC to the International Maritime Organization for the members’ awareness.

As a major bunkering hub, MPA takes bunker quality assurance seriously and will not hesitate to take necessary actions against relevant parties if they have failed to comply with MPA’s bunker licence conditions or other applicable regulations.

[1]: ISO 8217 - International Standards Petroleum products — Fuels (class F) — Specifications of marine fuels.

[2]: ASTM D7845 – Standard Test Method for Determination of Chemical Species in Marine Fuel Oil by Multidimensional Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry.

Related: Singapore Shipping Association issues statement to members regarding recent contaminated HSFO bunker cases
Related: VPS provides update on bunker fuel contamination cases in Singapore
Related: Bureau Veritas answers questions on Chlorinated Compounds in HSFO from Singapore
Related: FuelTrust: Latest bunkering contamination at Singapore validates need for early warning system
Related: VPS identifies potential bunker fuel contamination crisis unfolding at Singapore
Related: Gard members and clients find chlorinated hydrocarbons in Singapore bunkers

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 13 April, 2022

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Milestone

Singapore retains titles as Best Global Seaport and Best Seaport in Asia

Port of Singapore has been named the “Best Global Seaport” for the third consecutive year and the “Best Seaport in Asia” for the 35th time at the 2023 AFLAS Awards.

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Singapore retains titles as Best Global Seaport and Best Seaport in Asia

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore on Friday (29 September) said the Port of Singapore has been named the “Best Global Seaport” for the third consecutive year and the “Best Seaport in Asia” for the 35th time at the 2023 Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards.

These accolades recognise the contributions by the Port of Singapore serving as a key node in the global supply chain, and Singapore’s leadership in driving maritime decarbonisation and transformation.

The annual AFLAS Awards is organised by freight and logistics publication, Asia Cargo News, to honour leading service providers in the supply chain community for demonstrating leadership as well as consistency in service quality, innovation, customer relationship management and reliability. Winners were determined by votes cast by readers of the publication.

singapore best seaport 2

Mr Chee Hong Tat, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance, said: “Singapore is honoured to be named the Best Global Seaport and Best Seaport in Asia. These awards are the result of the shared effort and strong collaboration between the Government, industry, unions and workers. We will continue to grow our port as an efficient, sustainable, and trusted node in global supply chains.”

Mr Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of MPA, said: “These awards are testament to the partnership and collaboration between Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) with industry and international partners, the research and enterprise community, as well as unions. MPA remains committed to fostering an environment that encourages enterprise, innovation, and talent development.”

“We will continue to work with our partners to enhance Singapore’s connectivity, advance digitalisation efforts, and accelerate the decarbonisation of international shipping in line with the 2023 IMO strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships.”

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore 
Published: 29 September, 2023

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Employment

Melvin Lum appointed as KPI OceanConnect Global Accounts Commercial Director in Singapore 

Lum will take on the position of Commercial Director from Thomas Lee who was recently promoted to Head of APAC in a management restructure within KPI OceanConnect.

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Melvin Lum appointed as KPI OceanConnect Global Account Commercial Director in Singapore

Global marine energy solutions provider KPI OceanConnect on Thursday (28 September) announced the appointment of Melvin Lum as Commercial Director for its Global Accounts team in Singapore.

Lum will take on the position of Commercial Director from Thomas Lee who was recently promoted to Head of APAC in a management restructure within KPI OceanConnect. 

The Global Accounts team is an expert unit within KPI OceanConnect, specialised in providing long-term, tailored fuel strategy solutions to a portfolio of Key Accounts on a global scale. Dedicated regional teams located in London, Houston and Singapore work seamlessly across the world and around the clock to support their clients.

Lum joined KPI OceanConnect in 2021 as Senior Key Account manager and has made a significant contribution to the development of the team and optimisation of the daily operations of the unit in Singapore. Lum has vast experience across the supply chain and previously worked with TotalEnergies, Glencore and Global Energy Group prior to joining KPI OceanConnect.

Henrik Zederkof, Head of Global Accounts at KPI OceanConnect, said: "It is always a pleasure to witness the growth of our team members, and Melvin's progression is no exception. I have full confidence in Melvin's expertise, ability to lead the unit and dedication to his team. I look forward to seeing the progress of Melvin and his team, which will undoubtedly bring significant value to our numerous partners and the wider organisation.”

"Melvin will assume a pivotal role within the Global Accounts management team, leveraging his extensive experience in supply chain management and profound insight into emerging technologies. In his new role, Melvin will further enhance our team's skill set, aligning them with our ongoing objectives of supporting our partners in their green transition and digitalisation endeavours."

Melvin Lum, Commercial Director of KPI OceanConnect Global Accounts in Singapore, said: "I am very appreciative of the support and confidence from our management team as I take on this exciting new role. I am enthusiastic to work with the team as we continue to deliver an exceptional experience to our partners and stakeholders with dedication, innovation and passion."

Photo credit: KPI OceanConnect 
Published: 29 September, 2023

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Biofuel

TotalEnergies Marine Fuels renews ISCC EU certification for bio bunker fuel  

Firm’s operations teams in Singapore and Geneva successfully renewed its ISCC EU sustainability certification for the supply of biofuel bunkers, says Louise Tricoire, Vice President.

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TotalEnergies Marine Fuels renews ISCC EU certification for bio bunker fuel

Louise Tricoire, Vice President of TotalEnergies Marine Fuels recently said the firm’s operations teams in Singapore and Geneva successfully renewed its International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) EU sustainability certification for the supply of biofuel bunkers.

“This means that TotalEnergies Marine Fuels can continue sourcing and supplying marine biofuels in accordance with EU renewable energy regulations ensuring the highest sustainability standards,” she said in a social media. 

“It's the third year in a row that we have successfully renewed this certification, after a deep and comprehensive audit which showed zero non-conformity.”

She added marine biofuels have grown in demand among shipping companies that want to cut greenhouse gas emissions immediately. 

“TotalEnergies Marine Fuels offers marine biofuels commercially in Singapore and we are starting in Europe. This certification enables us to accompany our customers in their decarbonisation journey with the best standard solutions available today.”

Photo credit: TotalEnergies Marine Fuels
Published: 29 September, 2023

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