Bunker Fuel

Singapore achieves milestone with record year for bunker sales in 2023

A total of 51.82 million tonnes of bunker sales was registered in 2023, surpassing the previous record of 50.64 million tonnes in 2017, says Mr Chee Hong Tat, Acting Minister for Transport.

Published

1 year ago

January 15, 2024

Admin

Singapore achieves milestone with record year for bunker sales in 2023

A total of 51.82 million metric tonnes (mt) of bunker sales was registered in 2023, surpassing the previous record of 50.64 million mt in 2017 – reflecting Singapore’s support to the global shipping community as a bunkering hub, according to Mr Chee Hong Tat, Acting Minister for Transport, on Friday (12 January).

Of this, 1.2% is alternative fuels and this is expected to continue with good growth prospects in the coming year

Chee was announcing a record year in 2023 for Maritime Singapore at Singapore Maritime Foundation (SMF) New Year Conversations event.

He said Singapore has made good progress in the supply of alternative fuels and the electrification of harbour craft to support maritime decarbonisation and transformation.

“Bunker sales of biofuel blends increased to 520,000 tonnes, which more than tripled from 140,000 mt in 2022. Biofuel blends of up to B30 are commercially available, while trials of up to B100 are on-going. Liquefied natural gas bunker sales amounted to 110,000 mt in 2023, up from 16,000 mt in 2022,” Chee said in a statement.

In July 2023, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) successfully conducted the world’s first ship-to-containership methanol bunkering operation, where about 300 mt of green methanol was supplied for the first time in the Port of Singapore. New fully electric 200-pax passenger ferries and supply vessels were deployed in 2023, operating within port waters to support our maritime ecosystem.

The annual vessel arrival tonnage in the Port of Singapore crossed three billion Gross Tonnage (GT) for the first time, increasing by 9.4% over 2022 and setting a high of 3.09 billion GT in 20231.

This reflects growth in all segments of our port ecosystem, including container ships, dry bulk carriers, liquid bulk and chemical tankers, ferries and specialised vessels, amidst a global trade slowdown.

“The strong 2023 performance is largely attributed to the recovery in regional trade and the robust tripartite co-operation among the unions, industry and government to consistently enhance the efficiency, reliability and safety in the Port of Singapore,” Chee added.

Singapore Grows as an International Maritime Centre

As a leading International Maritime Centre, Singapore is home to more than 180 international shipping groups as well as other maritime players in finance, insurance, cybersecurity, shipbroking, law and arbitration.

Last year, total business spending by key maritime companies overseen by MPA exceeded SGD 4.8 billion, up from SGD 4.3 billion in 2022. 25 maritime companies established or expanded their operations in Singapore last year. These include maritime services companies and companies setting up sustainability desks in Singapore as part of their decarbonisation strategy and growth plans.

MPA is working with industry, researchers and the investment community to grow the Marine Technology (MarineTech) ecosystem. The number of start-ups under Port Innovation Ecosystem Reimagined @BLOCK71 (PIER71TM) has grown from 17 in 2018 when PIER71TM was launched, to 116 today – up from 99 in 2022. These start- ups have raised over SGD 68 million in investment since 2018. MPA will continue to work with its partners to reach the goal of 150 MarineTech start-ups in Singapore by 2025.

Singapore retained its lead as the world’s top maritime centre in the Xinhua- Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index for the 10th consecutive year in 2023. The Port of Singapore was also named best global seaport for the third straight year and best Asian seaport for the 35th time at the Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Awards.

Key Initiatives for a Future-ready Maritime Singapore

Accelerating Maritime Decarbonisation on Multiple Fronts

To date, Singapore has established four Green and Digital Shipping Corridors (GDSC) serving as valuable platforms for the piloting and trial of alternative fuels as well as digital solutions to support the transformation of the maritime sector

In April 2023, MPA established the GDSC with the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach. In December 2023, two MoUs were signed to establish the Tianjin-Singapore GDSC and Japan-Singapore GDSC covering six Japanese ports.

To position Singapore as the maritime green finance hub to support the energy transition, MPA launched an Expression of Interest (EOI) in October last year, inviting financial institutions and intermediaries, as well as marine insurance providers and brokers, to submit proposals to accelerate the adoption of electric harbour craft in Singapore. The evaluation of the proposals is on-going.

New standards supporting vessel electrification, cybersecurity, and the use of new bunker fuels such as methanol and ammonia are under development. In 2022, MPA and the Energy Market Authority jointly issued an EOI for ammonia power generation and bunkering which attracted 26 proposals. The second selection phase is on-going.

Driving Digitalisation with Industry and Research Institutes

To boost the efficiency and transparency of bunkering delivery documentation and workflow in the Port of Singapore, MPA implemented the Digital Bunkering initiative in November 2023.

To date, four solution providers have been approved by MPA, and three bunker suppliers and barge operators have commenced digital bunkering operations. More companies are expected to be on-boarded in the coming year. MPA will continue its efforts to gather feedback and drive early adoption.

When fully implemented, digital bunkering is expected to save up to 40,000 man-hours annually.

Maritime drone services present significant opportunities for Maritime Singapore to improve the operational efficiency of port services and reduce carbon footprint. In 2023, MPA worked with multiple drone operators to deploy drones to enhance the situational awareness and incident management response capabilities in support of the methanol bunkering operation and annual Ferry Rescue Exercise (FEREX) in July and October 2023, respectively. MPA is also studying the development of a Fleet Traffic Management System to track maritime drone activities in our port waters and ensure the safety of our port users.

To deepen local R&D capabilities in smart ship development and green technologies, MPA and the Singapore Maritime Institute awarded a total of SGD 19.3 million in funding to universities and research institutes in 2023 for maritime R&D.

Maritime companies are also growing their technology presence in Singapore and moving into emerging areas and services. In 2023, the American Bureau of Shipping launched its Global Electrification Centre in Singapore to support marine electrification projects across the Asia-Pacific and around the world. thyssenkrupp and Wilhelmsen also set up their joint venture, Pelagus 3D, to provide digital manufacturing services to the maritime industry.

MPA is closely monitoring the current geopolitical situation around the world and its impact on key shipping routes and global supply chains. Should the supply chain disruptions be protracted, and ships’ schedules increasingly impacted, the Port of Singapore stands ready to assist ships to “catch up” on their schedules and to support shippers in their cargo connections.

MPA has also issued advisories to shipowners, managers, operators and masters of Singapore-flagged ships to review their ships’ security plans and implement necessary risk mitigating measures when trading in high-risk areas.

Note: The full Singapore maritime performance review of 2023 can be found here.

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 15 January, 2024

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Alternative Fuels

Argus Green Marine Fuels Asia eBook released ahead of February bunker conference

eBook features interviews with Microsoft, JERA, IBIA, Anglo American, Sumitomo Corporation, Hafnia, BHP, Global Maritime Forum, DS NORDEN, ADNOC Group, and Standard Chartered Bank.

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Argus Media organises Green Marine Fuels Asia Conference in Singapore

Independent global energy and commodity market intelligence provider Argus Media recently published an eBook as part of a prelude leading towards the Argus Green Marine Fuels Asia Conference on 18 to 19 February in Singapore.

The Pre-conference content: Argus marine fuels Asia eBook features exclusive industry interviews with Microsoft, JERA, IBIA, Anglo American, Sumitomo Corporation, Hafnia, BHP, Global Maritime Forum, DS NORDEN, ADNOC Group, and Standard Chartered Bank.

It offers a peek into their thoughts on infrastructure readiness, the marine fuels shipowners are gravitating towards, LNG decarbonisation pathways, collaboration across the marine fuels value chain, and more.

The eBook is available for download through the image below:

The Argus Green Marine Fuels Asia Conference will be held at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, 6 Raffles Boulevard, Singapore 039594 on 18 to 19 February in Singapore.

Key speakers for the event include Kenneth Lim, Assistant Chief Executive (Industry & Transformation), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA); Torben Nørgaard, Chief Technology Officer - Energy & Fuels, Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Center; Jerid Soo, Assistant General Manager (Global Sustainability and ESG), Pacific International Lines; Kazuki Yamaguchi, General Manager and Head, Maritime Energy Solution, Energy Transformation Business Group, Sumitomo Corporation; and Mahua Chakravarty, Editor, Marine Fuels (Asia), Argus.

Photo credit: Argus Media
Published: 17 January, 2024

Bunker Fuel

TFG Marine, OOMCO form bunker fuel joint venture to supply in Oman ports

TFG-OOMCO will deliver bunker fuels to vessels visiting Oman’s ports of Duqm, Muscat and Sohar and offer customers a reliable and transparent bunkering provider in the Arabian Gulf.

Published

2 days ago

January 17, 2025

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TFG Marine, OOMCO form bunker fuel joint venture to supply in Oman ports

TFG Marine, the international marine fuel joint venture founded by Trafigura, Frontline and Golden Ocean on Thursday (16 January) said it has established a bunker fuel joint venture with Oman Oil Marketing Company (OOMCO) to supply vessels visiting Oman’s ports of Duqm, Muscat and Sohar.

TFG-OOMCO LLC, incorporated in Oman, will combine the local knowledge of OOMCO with the international footprint, sourcing of all grades of marine fuels, infrastructure and logistics capability of TFG Marine, to offer customers a reliable and transparent bunkering provider in the Arabian Gulf.

Tarik Al Junaidi, CEO of Oman Oil Marketing Company, said: “This partnership aligns with Oman Oil Marketing Company’s efforts to develop the maritime transport and shipping infrastructure in Oman, which is in alignment with the objectives Oman Vision 2040.”

“It underscores our commitment to meeting the increasing demand of compliant, high-quality marine grades of fuel while adhering to the highest international health, safety, and environmental standards.”

“Through our partnership with TFG Marine, the adoption of cutting-edge technologies and the implementation of global best practices in fuel bunkering, we strive to lead towards excellence and sustainability in the bunker fuel business in the Sultanate’s ports.”

Mark Russell, Chief Commercial Officer, TFG Marine, said: “This is TFG Marine’s first venture in the Middle East and we look forward to serving our customers in this region. Oman has a rich history as a maritime nation and is well located close to the main shipping routes connecting the Arabian Gulf and the Indian subcontinent with the rest of the world.”

The announcement follows the signing of an MOU agreement between SOHAR Port and Freezone and TFG Marine, to establish an international bunker fuel supply operation.

TFG Marine has already deployed bunker vessel Margherita Cosulich to the region to supply vessels at SOHAR’s deep-sea port. The vessel is fitted with a Mass Flow Meter (MFM), calibrated to the ISO 22192 international standard as required by SOHAR Port. SOHAR Port in February 2024 announced a mandate on the alignment of ISO 22192 standards ‘Bunkering of marine fuel using the Coriolis MFM system’ for all marine fuel supply operations within the port.

TFG Marine added it has long been an advocate of the global adoption of calibrated MFMs to bring much-needed transparency to bunkering and encouraging digitalisation in the long-term interests of the bunker industry and helping to further the decarbonisation goals of the shipping industry.

Photo credit: TFG Marine
Published: 17 January, 2025

Biofuel

Burando Energies delivers B30 bio bunker fuel to tug “MV Bylgia” in Rotterdam

Firm said it successfully delivered ISCC-certified B30 biofuel blend, derived from renewable feedstocks, to Heerema’s Anchor Handling Tug “MV Bylgia” at Port of Rotterdam.

Published

2 days ago

January 17, 2025

Admin

Burando Energies delivers B30 bio bunker fuel to tug “MV Bylgia” in Rotterdam

Burando Energies on Thursday (16 January) announced it successfully delivered ISCC-certified biofuel to Heerema’s Anchor Handling Tug MV Bylgia at the Port of Rotterdam.

The delivered B30 biofuel blend, derived from renewable feedstocks, will help reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 25% (well-to-wake)—an impactful move in Heerema’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.

“This delivery not only reflects our commitment to offering sustainable energy solutions but also strengthens our partnership with Heerema in their green ambitions,” said Duncan Huisman, Sustainable Bunker Trader at Burando Energies.

“We are proud to contribute to initiatives that prioritise the well-being of our planet and future generations.”

Burando Energies said it will continue to focus on innovation and sustainability, striving to provide energy solutions that drive both environmental progress and business success.

Photo credit: Burando Energies
Published: 17 January, 2025