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Singapore completes world’s first live paperless cross-border trade

Trade involved ExxonMobil Asia Pacific, Bunkerchain and VLK; Bunkerchain provided digital solution supporting key logistics documentation processes for cross-border liquid chemical trade.

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The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) on Thursday (30 March) said together with industry players, they successfully executed a live shipment from Singapore to Thailand during Q1 2023. 

This fully paperless, live cross-border trade involved the use of an ETR, that is functionally equivalent to a paper Bill of Lading (BL) using Singapore’s TradeTrust framework.

Pioneered by IMDA, TradeTrust was designed to address the challenges of paper-based cross-border trades, leveraging international standards and frameworks, utilising blockchain-powered technology to enable digitalisation of transferable documents into ETR. IMDA’s TradeTrust framework harmonises the legal recognition of digital documentations between various jurisdictions which has adopted the United Nations Commission on International TradeLaw (UNCITRAL) Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records (MLETR).

The world’s first ETR cross-border trade involved ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. as the shipper, Bunkerchain as the TradeTrust-enabled digital platform provider and VLK as the vessel owner who is supported by their Protection & Indemnity (P&I) Club. 

Bunkerchain provided a digital solution that supported the key logistics documentation processes for the cross-border liquid chemical trade involving multiple parties such as a surveyor and custom broker. 

The use of TradeTrust has enabled the digitalisation of the issuance, ownership title transfer and surrender of the ETR as an electronic Bill of Lading (eBL) between the different stakeholders across different systems, that is compliant to the UNCITRAL MLETR requirements.

How the Shipment was Conducted 

  • ExxonMobil Asia Pacific shipped liquid chemicals from Singapore to Thailand. 
  • VLK issued an electronic Bill of Lading (eBL) using Bunkerchain, a TradeTrust-enabled digital platform. 
  • The use of Marine Vessel Pass, a joint project between S&P Global Market Intelligence and Bunkerchain, created a Digital Passports for Ships on the eBL ensured that digital identity used in the signing, was onboarded, and verified by S&P Global Market Intelligence. This was tied to their International Maritime Organization number.
  • The eBL was subsequently surrendered on the TradeTrust Reference Implementation, demonstrating interoperability across different systems without the need to develop inter-system connectivity protocols such as APIs. It also established the interoperability between digital and paper-based processes. 
  • VLK was supported by their Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Club, on the basis that the P&I liabilities arising from the use of a TradeTrust-issued eBL is equivalent to the liabilities that could have arisen under the use of a paper-based Bill of Lading. 
  • The eBL was legally supported solely by statutory law without the use of any contract law or rulebook. This shipment showed that an eBL issued using the TradeTrust framework can be used in a non-MLETR jurisdiction, such as Thailand. 

The introduction of eBLs has enabled greater efficiency by streamlining and automating existing processes. The benefits include shorter waiting times and reduced costs. This pilot builds on cooperation with industry partners like ExxonMobil to encourage the use of ETRs and facilitate cross-border trade. Using the TradeTrust framework, ETRs can be issued, transferred, and surrendered between multiple stakeholders in a trusted manner, across different digital platforms, which is necessary in the context of cross-border trade. 

“Since 2019, Singapore has looked to reshape, reimagine, and redefine the way the world trades. International trade ecosystem is heavily reliant on physical paper documents and signatures for validation,” Mr Loh Sin Yong, Director, TradeTrust, IMDA, said. 

“This live transaction for consignment of liquid chemical from Singapore to Thailand, leverages on the TradeTrust framework to create an eBL that uses UNCITRAL’s MLETR compliant statutory law framework.”

“More importantly, we are excited to have demonstrated that the industry can potentially use eBL even if there was no basis of a contractual legal framework. We believe this will illuminate wider adoption of eBL in cross-border trade.”

“This pilot is part of ExxonMobil’s efforts to increase our supply chain resiliency through digitalisation of business processes. We welcome frameworks like TradeTrust as an important part of our journey towards digitalisation. Such frameworks increase efficiency and cost savings while maintaining high standards and trust, and we hope that this successful trial will lead to increased interest from industry to adopt similar standards,” Mr Low Say Lim, Asia Pacific Liquids Logistics & Distribution Manager, ExxonMobil Asia Pacific, said. 

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 4 April, 2023

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Bunker Fuel

Singapore: Bunker fuel sales soar by 7.5% on year in June 2025

4.59 million mt of various marine fuel grades were delivered at the world’s largest bunkering port in June, up from 4.27 million mt recorded during the similar month in 2024, according to MPA.

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Singapore: Bunker fuel sales soar by 7.5% on year in June 2025

Sales of marine fuel at Singapore port increased by 7.5% on year in June 2025, according to Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) data.

In total, 4.59 million metric tonnes (mt) (exact 4,594,700 mt) of various marine fuel grades were delivered at the world’s largest bunkering port in June, up from 4.27 million mt (4,274,900 mt) recorded during the similar month in 2024.

Deliveries of marine fuel oil, low sulphur fuel oil, ultra low sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in June (against on year) recorded respectively 1.70 million mt (+8.6% from 1.56 million mt), 2.31 million mt (-7.2% from 2.33 million mt), 1,900 mt (from zero), 4,500 mt (-88% from 8,000 mt) and zero (from zero).

Singapore: Bunker fuel sales soar by 7.5% on year in June 2025

Bio-blended variants of marine fuel oil, low sulphur fuel oil, ultra low sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in June (against on year) recorded respectively 38,800 mt (+671.7% from 2,500 mt), 114,300 mt (+97.9% from 45,400 mt), zero (from zero), zero (from zero) and zero (from zero). B100 biofuel bunkers, introduced in February this year, recorded 1,000 mt of deliveries in June.

LNG and methanol sales were respectively 55,400 mt (-7.8% from 51,700) and zero (from zero mt). There were no recorded sales of ammonia for the month and so far in 2025.

Related: Singapore: Bunker sales volume raises to year record high of 4.88 million mt in May
Related: Singapore: Bunker fuel sales increase by 4% on year in April 2025
Related: Singapore: Bunker fuel sales increase by 0.5% on year in March 2025
Related: Singapore: Bunker fuel sales down by 8.1% on year in February 2025
Related: Singapore: Bunker fuel sales down by 9.1% on year in January 2025

A complete series of articles on Singapore bunker volumes reported by Manifold Times tracked since 2018 can be found via the link here.

 

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 15 July 2025

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Alternative Fuels

ITOCHU orders world’s first ammonia bunkering vessel for Singapore demonstration project

Company contracted Sasaki Shipbuilding to build the 5,000 m3 vessel and Izumi Steel Works to construct an ammonia tank plant that will be loaded onto the vessel, which is expected to be delivered in 2027.

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ITOCHU orders world’s first ammonia bunkering vessel for Singapore demonstration project

ITOCHU Corporation (ITOCHU) on Monday (14 July) announced that it recently signed a shipbuilding contract for the construction of a 5,000 m3 ammonia bunkering vessel with Sasaki Shipbuilding. 

The company also announced an agreement regarding the construction of an ammonia tank plant that will be loaded onto the vessel with Izumi Steel Works. 

These agreements were signed by Clean Ammonia Bunkering Shipping Pte Ltd (CABS), a wholly owned Singapore-based specific purpose company of ITOCHU. 

In relation to this, CABS has concluded a financing agreement with The Hiroshima Bank for financing a part of purchase price of the vessel.

The agreements were concluded to pursue the Demonstration Project for Bunkering Ammonia as Marine Fuel in Singapore adopted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan as part of the Global South Future-oriented Co-Creation Project (large-scale demonstration in ASEAN member states). 

Going forward, with an eye toward the demonstration of ammonia bunkering in Singapore after building the world’s first newbuilding ammonia bunkering vessel, ITOCHU said efforts will be made to facilitate concrete discussions with the maritime stakeholders, including the port authority in Singapore, the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), and the fuel producers, while obtaining support from the Japanese Government.

The vessel is to be flagged under the Singapore Registry and is expected to be delivered in September 2027.

ITOCHU will establish a safe offshore bunkering operation of ammonia as marine fuel by way of ship-to-ship transfer through the development and construction of the vessel and demonstration. 

Then, by utilising the vessel, ITOCHU will establish connection between the first movers in clean ammonia production and the first movers in the ammonia-fueled vessels and secure initial demand for ammonia as marine fuel, aiming at the commercialisation of ammonia bunkering business in Singapore and expansion of similar business model to major maritime transportation points around the world, including Spain (Strait of Gibraltar), Egypt (Suez Canal) and Japan.

 

Photo credit: ITOCHU Corporation
Published: 15 July 2025

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Business

S@S Week 2025: Singapore conducts chemical spill exercise to gear up for methanol bunkering

Exercise simulated a methanol spill from a collision involving a methanol-carrying tanker off Singapore’s southern coast, triggering a multi-agency response which included spill containment.

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The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Tuesday (15 July) conducted a multi-agency chemical spill exercise to strengthen Singapore’s operational readiness, as part of the International Safety@Sea (S@S) Week. 

MPA is organising the 12th edition of the S@S Week, with this year’s event being the international edition, taking place from 15 to 18 July 2025. 

Conducted off Singapore’s southern coast, the exercise involved 11 vessels and over 150 personnel from more than 10 government agencies and industry partners. Mr Murali, Mr Dominguez and Secretary-General, International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation, Mr Francis Zachariae, observed the exercise.

The exercise simulated a methanol spill from a collision involving a methanol-carrying tanker, triggering a multi-agency response. This included coordinated efforts for spill containment and the evacuation of injured crew. A range of drone-enabled technologies was trialled during the exercise, including 3D imaging to assess vessel damage and a water curtain misting system to limit the spread of chemical plumes. An Uncrewed Surface Vehicle was also deployed to monitor air quality, reducing the need for responders to enter hazardous zones to perform such monitoring. The Maritime Digital Twin and chemical plume modelling tools were used to enhance situational awareness and support decision-making throughout the exercise.

The exercise is part of MPA’s broader preparations for methanol bunkering and provided a valuable opportunity for agencies and industry partners to better understand the safety and operational challenges, and potential solutions, in handling alternative fuels. Following an open call in March 2025, MPA has received 13 applications for methanol bunker supplier licenses, reflecting strong industry interest in supplying methanol on a commercial scale in Singapore. MPA is evaluating the applications and targets to issue the licenses in Q4 2025, which will cover the period from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030. 

Themed ‘The Future of Maritime Safety: Navigating the Next Frontier’, the annual event brings together local and international maritime experts, and the maritime community to promote awareness and facilitate discussions on maritime safety. 

Speaking at the opening today, Mr Murali Pillai, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Law and Ministry of Transport, said that the maritime sector is facing increasingly complex global challenges, including heightened geopolitical tensions, climate change, and rapid transformation in digitalisation and decarbonisation. He highlighted that we can tackle these challenges by (i) equipping our workforce for future challenges, (ii) harnessing collective expertise through close collaborations and partnerships, and (iii) drawing upon technology and innovation to augment our capabilities. 

In his keynote address, Mr Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), underscored the need for robust safety frameworks and regulations as the maritime landscape evolves. He cited Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships and new ship designs and systems using sustainable marine fuels as examples of how the maritime sector is transforming and outlined IMO’s priorities in those areas. Mr Dominguez also highlighted the importance of government-industry collaboration and initiatives like the Safety@Sea Singapore Campaign to foster a safety-first culture at sea.  

This year’s conference features 19 speakers across three plenaries. Discussions will focus on issues shaping the future of maritime safety, including lessons learned from past incidents, and the human element in ensuring safety as the industry transforms. A new Safety@Sea Community Conversations event will also bring together representatives from shipping companies, regional ferry operators, harbour craft operators and terminal operators to share their experiences and efforts in fostering a safety culture in their organisations. 

Over 1,800 participants from more than 40 countries are expected to participate in the week’s sessions. Other highlights include the Responders Plus Programme (RPP) Maritime Workshop jointly organised by MPA and the Singapore Civil Defence Force, and two safety forums organised by the MPA-Harbour Craft and MPA-Pleasure Craft Safety Work Groups to promote safety awareness and best practices within the local maritime community. 

MPA is also enhancing safety across other areas of port operations. In collaboration with Skyports Drone Services, TFG Marine and CBS Ventures, MPA and the partners will complete Singapore’s first shore-to-ship drone trials for delivery and retrieval operations from bunker tankers later this week. 

The use of drones reduces reliance on harbour craft for such operations, improving efficiency while reducing pollution and congestion. 

It also minimises safety risks by removing the need for crew to handle and transfer heavy items between the ship and shore using harbour craft. Safety considerations, including the management of electrostatic discharge risks during the drone operations, are carefully reviewed in preparation for the trials. 

Findings from these trials will inform the development of safety protocols and an operational framework to support the phased implementation of this new maritime service.

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 15 July 2025

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