Business

Singapore: Aderco and WISTA Singapore initiate charity drive for visiting seafarers stuck onboard vessels

‘WISTA Singapore will match dollar for dollar every donation received up to $3000; we will also help to pack the items for Aderco to deliver to the crew,’ the maritime association President tells Manifold Times.

Published

4 years ago

November 11, 2020

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Singapore-based volunteers from fuel treatment specialist Aderco and from the Singapore chapter of the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) gathered on Monday (9 November) to place the finishing touches on a mutually organised charity drive for seafarers.

The group was present at Aderco’s Singapore office to pack approximately 200 care packages which will be sent to crew still stuck onboard vessels for an extended period of time due to the pandemic when the ships visit Singapore port.

The initiative was started by Yukie Teo, Sales Support Manager at Aderco, who learned about the plight of numerous ship crew from her fleet management and bunker surveying contacts.

“I was planning to go onboard vessels to distribute company brochures for visiting vessels in September and initially came up with the idea of giving a sanitisation kit and pen as part of a care package from Aderco,” she shared with Singapore bunker publication Manifold Times.

“However, further conversation with surveyor contacts found several crew to be in extremely low morale due to extended time onboard. A discussion with my boss led to an expansion of the care package budget; we are now in its fifth iteration and plan to carry out this campaign till end of the year.

“The Singapore chapter of WISTA is now onboard and they have been a great help in this endeavour. I will like to take this opportunity to thank WISTA members and the generous contributions from the many anonymous donors. Thank you for your support!”

Magdalene Chew, President of WISTA Singapore, personally helped pack items into the care packages.

“Crew members are essential workers but are generally more overlooked than other categories of workers. As much as 300,000 seafarers are still stuck onboard ships [according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation] and many have been living on vessels for over a year,” said Chew, also a Director of AsiaLegal LLC.

“Our ExCo member Yukie told us about this initiative their company is undertaking and we are very happy to take part. We have asked for donations towards the purchase of tea, chocolate beverages and more for crew visiting Singapore port.

“WISTA Singapore will match dollar for dollar for every donation received up to $3000; we will also help to pack the items for Aderco to deliver to the crew.”

Victoria McFarlane, Assistant Claims Manager at Britannia P&I, was among WISTA members present at the packing session.

“Seafarers transport about 90% of the world’s goods and they make sure that we have everything that we need so we want to do what we can to help them as well,” she says.

“Even now, there are so many seafarers still stuck on ships unable to disembark due to various restrictions in place due to Covid. They cannot see their families and are so far from home.”

The item list for each Aderco care package include:

01 x PVC ziplock bag
03 x disposal mask
01 x 50ml gel hand sanitizer
01 x wet wipes
02 x hand sanitizer pack
04 x alcohol pad
02 x face shield
01 x packet of milo 3in1 (18 sachets)
01 x packet of milk tea 3in1 (12 sachets)
01 x packet of coffee 3in1 (35 sachets)

WISTA Singapore members present during the packing session are (left to right):

Victoria McFarlane, Assistant Claims Manager, Britannia P&I
Magdalene Chew, President of WISTA Singapore & Director of AsiaLegal LLC
Yukie Teo, Sales Support Manager at Aderco
Amber Chang, Account Manager – Advertising at Tradewinds

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 11 November, 2020

Biofuel

Argus Media: Bunkering sector needs deeper dive into B24 bio bunker fuel market

‘As we advance into 2025, the need to understand how B24 matures in terms of market fundamentals, pricing and dynamics will be a key indicator for the marine sector,’ says Mahua Chakravarty of Argus.

Published

2 days ago

October 4, 2024

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Argus Media organises free admission ‘Argus Asia B24 Forum’ for bunkering sector

Ahead of Argus Asia B24 Forum, Manifold Times interviewed Mahua Chakravarty, Head of Marine Fuels Pricing (Asia) of independent global energy and commodity market intelligence provider Argus Media; she explains the growing prominence of B24 bunker fuel in the marine sector and believes it is imperative for the bunkering sector to deepen its knowledge on it:

MT: Why is it important for the bunkering sector to know more about the B24 bunker fuel market?

B24 has emerged as the first alternative marine fuel that allows ship-owners and charterers a drop-in fuel option, and make greenhouse gas (GHG) savings, for their voyages into EU and territorial waters.

It has proved to be the most practical solution for ship-owners that eliminates costly retrofitting charges. The easy availability of used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME) as a blendstock from China and southeast Asia, also adds to its overall attractiveness as an alternative fuel.

B24 consumption in the port of Singapore recorded multi-fold jumps to touch 518,000t in 2023 as ship-owners fuelled for trials in preparation for the implementation of EU-led mandates like the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and the Carbon Intensity Index (CII) rating. In 2024, B24 demand has continued to grow with 377,800t of consumption seen up to August, according to statistics from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

As we advance into 2025, the need to understand how B24 matures in terms of market fundamentals, pricing and dynamics will be a key indicator for the marine sector. Being the first generation of new marine fuels, B24 has shown the way that biofuel blends can provide a solution for ship-owners/charterers to meet compliance mandates set by the EU and IMO.

MT: Why has Argus developed its own B24 Singapore price index? What's so special about it and why should the industry adopt it as a benchmark?

Argus was the first to launch its spot B24 delivered on board (DOB) Singapore assessment in January 2023, thus introducing price discovery for this market at its point of inception. The past 1.5 years of daily price assessments of B24, using a robust market survey approach, has built Argus’ understanding of this market from the start.

We have seen the growth of liquidity and the quest among refiners, traders, ship-owners to find pricing solutions for a nascent market. We have been at the forefront of capturing spot liquidity growth and in assessing prices for this market.

This index is now considered a key price assessment by key refiners, traders, ship-owners and other stakeholders in the market.

MT: What takeaways can each segment of the bunkering sector such as bunker buyers, bunker traders, and shipowners receive from the upcoming Argus B24 forum?

The Argus B24 Asia Forum is aimed at showcasing some of these learnings by a global team that covers key markets like Singapore, China and Europe. Our global team will present their insights on the key trends driving demand for marine biodiesel globally.

As the marine sector marches onwards with the bunkering of higher biofuel blends, this forum will allow the audience to reflect on the key factors that have driven the marine biodiesel sector. It will provide insights to make better decisions about infrastructure, pricing, feedstock-related issues and what blends are likely to be prevalent in the coming year.

We will be hosting a panel discussion at this forum that will include key players driving the marine biodiesel space in Singapore and other regions.

The Argus Asia B24 Forum will be held in The Village Hotel (The Events Centre by Far East Hospitality), Sentosa, Singapore (Google Maps) on 8 October between 4.00pm to 7.00pm Singapore Time.

Participants are encouraged to register for the free event via the custom link here.

Photo credit: Argus Media
Published: 4 October 2024

Bunker Fuel

Brazil: Raízen launches new bunkering operation in Itaqui

Operation will support both coastal and oceangoing vessels at Off Port Limits, allowing the firm’s customers to avoid full port call fees and unnecessary deviations, says Paula Georgopoulos Tinoco.

Published

2 days ago

October 4, 2024

Admin

Brazil: Raízen launches new bunkering operation in Itaqui

Brazilian energy firm Raízen has launched its new bunkering operation in Itaqui at the Outer Anchorage Area, according to Paula Georgopoulos Tinoco, Bunker Sales Coordinator at Raízen on Wednesday (3 October).

The firm is providing local supplies for the grades VLSFO380 (max. 0.5%S) and LSMGO DMA (max. 0.1%S).

“The new bunkering operation will support both coastal and oceangoing vessels with different sizes and class at the Off Port Limits, allowing our customers to avoid full port call fees and unnecessary deviations at different bunkering ports,” she said in a social media post.

In September last year, Bunker Holding subsidiary Bunker One announced that it partnered with Acelen, the largest bunker producer in the Brazilian state of Bahia, to offer the only outer anchorage bunkering operation in Brazil at the time.

Starting September 2023, vessels such as large cargo ships and tankers can be supplied in the anchorage area of the Port of Itaqui in São Marcos Bay (MA).

Photo credit: Raízen
Published: 4 October, 2024

Business

Rahim Oberholtzer named as new Infineum Chief Financial and Strategy Officer

Oberholtzer, a finance executive with over 25 years of experience, joins Infineum from Shell, where he has held various senior positions including Senior Vice President of Shell Finance for Chemicals and Products.

Published

2 days ago

October 4, 2024

Admin

Rahim Oberholtzer named as new Infineum Chief Financial and Strategy Officer

International fuel additives company Infineum on Thursday (3 October) announced the appointment of Mr. Rahim Oberholtzer as the new Chief Financial and Strategy Officer, effective 1 October.

Oberholtzer will succeed Mr. Philippe Creteur, who has retired at the end of September 2024, after 18 years of dedicated service to Infineum.

Oberholtzer, a seasoned finance executive with over 25 years of diverse experience, joins Infineum from Shell, where he has held various senior positions. His most recent role was Senior Vice President of Shell Finance for Chemicals and Products.

During his career, Oberholtzer has acquired extensive expertise in public accounting, investment banking, and trading. He began his professional journey at KPMG in San Francisco as an auditor. He then moved on to Merrill Lynch, focusing on mergers and acquisitions and equity offerings within the energy sector, ultimately serving as Head of Structured Finance at Merrill Lynch Commodities.

In 2011, he joined Shell’s Mergers and Acquisitions team in the U.S., leading key projects such as the launch of Shell Midstream Partners and the Eagle Ford divestment. He subsequently managed finance teams in Trading & Supply, covering European Gas & Power, Global Crude, and Global Products & Operations.

Infineum CEO Aldo Govi, said: “We are deeply grateful for Philippe’s years of dedication and excellent contribution to Infineum. At the same time, I am thrilled to welcome Rahim to our corporate leadership team.”

Photo credit: Infineum
Published: 4 October, 2024