Business

SIBCON 2020: Singapore introduces new MFM bunkering standards SS 660 and TR 80

Completion of SS 660 and TR 80, with SS 648, forms a trinity of bunkering standards covering the local bunker supply chain, says Chairman, TC for Bunkering.

Published

6 years ago

October 7, 2020

Admin

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Singapore Chemical Industry Council, Standards Development Organisation, Singapore Standards Council, Enterprise Singapore on Wednesday (7 October) jointly launched two bunkering standards for the local bunkering sector.

Singapore Standard 660 : 2020 (SS 660)
Code of Practice for Bunker Cargo Delivery from Oil Terminal to Bunker Tanker using Mass Flow Meter

SS 660 aims to harmonise the quantity measurement methods at oil terminals and bunker tankers for better accuracy and inventory management by covering the upstream process for bunker cargo delivery from the oil terminal to the bunker tanker, said the members.

It includes the quantity measurement requirements during bunker cargo delivery from an oil terminal to a bunker tanker using the Coriolis MFM system.

Through the adoption of digital technology (i.e. use of Coriolis MFM) for terminal operations to improve efficiency, productivity and transparency, shipowners and operators will have better assurance that not only will their vessels receive bunkers correctly, they will also know that the bunkering service is backed up by the integrity of the entire bunker supply chain.

The SS 660 also covers quality requirements, which specify taking a representative fuel sample at the custody transfer point to determine compliance with the agreed fuel specifications to assure the bunker quality delivered to bunker suppliers; it strengthens the application of SS 524 on Specification for quality management for bunker supply chain, which is adopted by bunker suppliers.

Technical Reference 80 : 2020 (TR 80)
Meter Verification Using Master Mass Flow Meter

TR 80 reflects the requirements and procedures for meter verification using a master MFM to verify and check the stability and performance of a duty meter installed on a bunker tanker or at an oil terminal.

The master MFM is qualified for measuring performance that is three times better than a duty meter and the meter verification process is performed by an independent authorised party for integrity purposes.

When undertaken by an authorised party, meter verification using master mass flow meter is a more efficient and less costly process that independently monitors and checks if a duty meter performance meets the requirements of SS 648 or SS 660 (as the case may be) during its commercial lifespan.

This standard supports the application of the new SS 660 Code of practice for bunker cargo delivery from oil terminal to bunker tanker using mass flow meter and SS 648 Code of practice for bunker mass flow metering, which respectively apply at the start of the bunker supply chain (i.e. bunker loading at terminals) to final delivery of bunker to ships.

Comments from stakeholders

“Standards assure the integrity of value chains by harmonising technical terms, measures and industry benchmarks, and provide transparency and stakeholders’ accountability. They have contributed to the digitisation efforts of the bunkering industry and strengthened Singapore’s position as a trusted bunkering hub. Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Standards Council will continue to work with industry and the MPA to develop standards to support the transformation efforts of the maritime industry,” said Choy Sauw Kook, Director-General (Quality & Excellence), Enterprise Singapore.

“The implementation of TR 48 has enhanced trust in Singapore’s bunkering sector. The pioneering method of bunker measurement has increased the transparency and accuracy of bunker custody transfer, as well as improved the operational efficiency of bunkering at the Port of Singapore. We are confident that the new standards, which support the use of mass flow meters, will boost bunker quantity assurance and reinforce Singapore’s position as a leading bunkering hub of the world,” said Captain Daknashamoorthy Ganasen, MPA’s Senior Director (Operations and Marine Services).

“With the completion of SS 660 and TR 80, and the recent launch of SS 648, the Technical Committee for Bunkering completes a trinity of bunkering standards covering the local bunker supply chain. These two new standards are also envisioned to be new additions to ISO MFM bunkering standards that are led by Singapore, contributing to the betterment of the global bunkering environment for international shipping,” said Seah Khen Hee, Chairman, Technical Committee for Bunkering

“The potential net annual savings derived from the TR 48 case study for the bunkering industry were based on conservative assumptions so the bunkering industry can be confident of achieving even greater outcomes if their internal practices align even closer to the TR 48,” said Simon Neo, Executive Director of SDE International, who is a member of the Advisory Committee for the TR 48 case study in his individual capacity.

SS 660, TR 80, TR 48 and its revision, SS 648 can be purchased from the Singapore Standards eShop at www.singaporestandardseshop.sg.

A presentation on standards on bunker MFM, including SS 660 and TR 80, as well as a presentation on the economic benefits of TR 48 case study, followed by a panel discussion on ‘Bunkering Standards – Opportunities, Challenges and Prospects’ will be conducted virtually during SIBCON 2020 ‘Powering Fuels of the Future, Driving towards Decarbonisation’ on 7 October 2020. Interested participants can register via www.sibconsingapore.gov.sg.

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 7 October, 2020

Business

MPA: Singapore named Best Global Seaport at 2026 AFLAS Award

‘This recognition reflects the collective efforts of the entire maritime community in strengthening Singapore’s position as a leading global hub port,’ says Mr Ang Wee Keong, Chief Executive of MPA.

Published

5 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Admin

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Thursday (25 June) said the Port of Singapore has been awarded the “Best Global Seaport” for the 5th time at the 2026 Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards held in Shanghai, China on 24 June 2026.

The AFLAS Awards recognise leading logistics and supply chain service providers for excellence in service quality, reliability, and innovation.

MPA said award winners are determined through nomination and votes by international freight and logistics companies and clients who are readers of the publication.

Mr Ang Wee Keong, Chief Executive of MPA, said: “We thank the global shipping and logistics community for their continued confidence in Singapore.

“This recognition reflects the collective efforts of the entire maritime community in strengthening Singapore’s position as a leading global hub port. As supply chains evolve and new challenges emerge, we will continue to invest in innovation, infrastructure, and talent to keep Singapore resilient, connected, and future-ready.”

Photo credit: Swapnil Bapat on Unsplash
Published: 25 June, 2026

Bunker Fuel

FOBAS: Summary of marine fuel oil sulphur requirements

FOBAS publishes a bulletin to provide ship operators with an updated reminder of marine fuel oil sulphur regulations under various regulatory frameworks.

Published

5 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Admin

Lloyd’s Register Fuel Oil Bunkering Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) on Wednesday (24 June) published a bulletin to provide ship operators with an updated reminder of marine fuel oil sulphur regulations under various regulatory frameworks:

MARPOL Annex VI

Ships operating inside or outside Emission Control Areas (ECA) for Sulphur Oxides (SOx) i.e., ECA-SOx, are

required to comply with specific sulphur limits in respect of the fuel oils as used unless the particular

combustion systems (engine, boiler, other) in use have in operation an approved exhaust gas cleaning system as per MARPOL Annex VI regulation 4. These fuel oil limits are as follows;

Inside ECA-SOx: Max sulphur content of 0.10% m/m
Outside ECA-SOx: Max sulphur content of 0.50% m/m

MARPOL Annex VI regulation 14.3 currently gives the following as ECA-SOx together with the respective geographic limits:

Baltic Sea;
North Sea;
North American (which includes an area around the Hawaiian Islands);
US Caribbean Sea;
Mediterranean Sea;
Canadian Arctic; and
Norwegian Sea

Additionally, MEPC 84 adopted the North-East Atlantic as an ECA-SOx which will come into effect from 1 September 2028.

European initiatives

For EU, UK, and Turkish ports situated outside ECA-SOx, ships must switchover to a fuel with a maximum sulphur content of 0.10% m/m when at berth. Similarly, Norway and Iceland have also 0.10% m/m requirements for ships at berth and operating in Fjords (territorial / internal waters).

Other initiatives

Due to increasing concerns around the environmental impact from shipping on local air quality, there are a number of national and local regulations which require the use of low sulphur fuel oils, typically maximum sulphur content 0.10% m/m, or other measures by all or certain ships within defined areas. Examples of these are China, California (CARB), South Korea and Sydney. Furthermore, there can be other related restrictions, for example, on the discharges to sea from exhaust gas cleaning systems.

However, whereas with the MARPOL Annex VI ECA-SOx, there is a single point of reference as to which areas are covered, there is no such central registry for these regional, national or local initiatives taken outside MARPOL Annex VI. Consequently, in all the cases, it is important for ships to check with the relevant authorities beforehand in order to confirm the current status as regards SOx and related emission requirements in order to avoid any penalties – which can be substantial.

Photo credit: Louis Reed from Unsplash
Published: 25 June, 2026

Biofuel

ExxonMobil completes first sea trial of bio bunker fuel blend made from FAME

Firm supplied a B30 VLSFO, made using FAME Distillation Residue, to Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s vehicle carrier “Titus” in Zeebrugge.

Published

5 hours ago

June 25, 2026

Admin

ExxonMobil completes first sea trial of bio bunker fuel blend made from FAME

US oil major ExxonMobil on Tuesday (23 June) said it has successfully supplied a B30 0.50% sulphur marine residual fuel blend (B30 VLSFO), made using fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) Distillation Residue, to Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

The bio marine fuel blend was bunkered by the vehicle carrier Titus in Zeebrugge ahead of the sea trial, marking a significant milestone in ExxonMobil’s journey towards supplying the marine industry with lower GHG emission fuels.

The B30 VLSFO fuel meets the RMG380 residual fuel oil classification and complies with ISO 8217:2017 with the exception of the bio blend component. It shares similar drop-in properties to a B30 VLSFO made with FAME produced from used cooking oil (UCOME).

The fuel has the potential to reduce lifecycle GHG emissions compared to conventional fuels.

Importantly, marine fuels made with FAME Distillation Residue have a major advantage over FAME itself, as there is currently no competition for this material from other transport sectors.

Additionally, when compared to FAME in VLSFO blends, several key properties of the FAME Distillation Residue are closer to the VLSFO component, such as density and viscosity. This is beneficial as users will see a lower reduction in viscosity than that of a FAME in VLSFO blend, which makes it comparatively easier to handle onboard ships. Further, extensive lab testing has shown good compatibility between petroleum-based VLSFOs and this B30 VLSFO made with FAME Distillation Residue.

The sea trial was successfully completed with no operational concerns. The B30 VLSFO batch was bunkered without issue. The onboard storage and handling of B30 VLSFO did not result in any filtration or purification issues. Engine performance remained stable, as confirmed by comparing key parameters recorded in the performance and condition monitoring reports before, during and after the trial.

“This successful sea trial highlights a practical, cost-effective pathway for customers to reduce their lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining operational performance. By leveraging FAME Distillation Residue, ExxonMobil can offer a drop-in solution that supports compliance with evolving EU regulations and helps operators advance their lower GHG emission goals confidence,” said Gideon Simmelink, Account Manager Marine Fuels, ExxonMobil.

“Wallenius Wilhelmsen has a long-standing collaboration with ExxonMobil. This trial supports our efforts to assess new fuel options and advance our decarbonization ambitions,” said Kari Haugen, Senior Manager Energy Sourcing, Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

Subject to regional availability, ExxonMobil offers a range of bio marine fuel blends (Bio VLSFO, Bio ULSFO, Bio MGO and Bio HSFO), which we have supplied into the ARA (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp) region (VLSFO and USLFO), the UK (MGO and HSFO) and Singapore (VLSFO).

These solutions are designed to help meet the diverse needs of the shipping industry while helping support GHG emission reductions. Always consult with engine manufacturers as OEMs may limit bio blend percentages or specific bio components for certain engine designs.

Photo credit: ExxonMobil
Published: 25 June, 2026