Business

Singapore: Consort Bunkers welcomes first of seven 7,999 dwt ‘K’ series newbuild bunker tankers to bunkering fleet

‘Consort Bunkers will be operating the youngest bunkering fleet in Singapore after complete delivery of the ‘K’ series vessels by late-2023,’ Mr SK Yeo, Founder of Consort Bunkers, tells Manifold Times.

Published

4 years ago

September 22, 2022

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Singapore-based bunker supplier and logistics services provider Consort Bunkers Pte Ltd on Monday (19 September) took delivery of Pearl Kate, learned Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times.

The Singapore-flagged 7,999 dwt marine refuelling vessel is the first of seven ‘K’ series newbuild bunker tankers ordered by the company in 2020.

“Consort Bunkers will be operating the youngest bunkering fleet in Singapore after complete delivery of the ‘K’ series vessels by late-2023,” shared Mr SK Yeo, Founder of Consort Bunkers.

“The additional seven new bunker tankers mean we will be owning close to 20 bunker barges.”

According to Mr Yeo, this is the sixth time Consort Bunkers has placed an order for newbuilds over the past 25 years (every 3-4 years since 1995) after being established in 1988.

He was keen to point out the newbuildings, though constructed at a Chinese yard, are built to Japanese ClassNK standards and incorporate several green features.

“All of the major machinery and parts of these bunker tankers are from Japan; we are only using the Chinese yard and manpower to install the equipment,” he said.

“Traditionally, Consort Bunkers used to construct its bunker barges in Japan. It was only from 2013 we decided to build our newbuildings at China while using Japanese designs and equipment in order to save on cost.”

Another factor influencing cost has been the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic which introduced various issues affecting bunker tanker deliveries within the past two years.

“We were initially expecting an earlier delivery for the ‘K’ series of bunker tankers but the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in physical deliveries of many vessels being delayed by between six to nine months,” Mr Yeo pointed out.

“Recovery from the pandemic has also caused a rise in iron ore, resulting in a 30% increase for the price of steel plates over the last two years. Compared to now, it was much cheaper to place an order for newbuildings two years ago – a fortunate decision which we took.”

Moving forward, Mr Yeo notes Consort Bunkers’ next newbuilding order to include plans for bunker tankers capable of supporting alternative bunker fuel delivery operations.

“We are expecting our next newbuilding order to reflect what the market desires in terms of alternative marine fuels,” he shared.

“We are aware the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore has introduced the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint: Working Towards 2050 document and eagerly await to support the shipping industry’s adoption of new types of marine fuels.

“Our next bunker tanker newbuilding order, where we will be building in accordance to market requirements, will be reflective of this.”

Photo credit: Consort Bunkers
Published: 22 September, 2022

Winding up

Singapore: Notices of intended dividend issued for Ocean Bunkering Services, Hin Leong Marine

Liquidators have issued notices to intended dividends of OBS, the marine fuels business arm of troubled Hin Leong Trading, and Hin Leong Marine International to their creditors on Government Gazette.

Published

2 hours ago

August 24, 2026

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A notice of intended dividend for Ocean Bunkering Services Pte Ltd (OBS), the marine fuels business arm of troubled Hin Leong Trading, and Hin Leong Marine International Pte Ltd was published on the Government Gazette on Friday (21 August).

The following are the details of the notice of Ocean Bunkering Services:

Name of Company : Ocean Bunkering Services (Pte) Ltd (In Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. /Registration No.: 197800010N
Address of Registered Office : 600 North Bridge Road, #23-01 Parkview Square, Singapore 188778
Last Day for Receiving Proofs : 4 September 2026
Names of Liquidators : Leow Quek Shiong, Gary Loh Weng Fatt
Address of Liquidators : c/o BDO Advisory Pte Ltd, 600 North Bridge Road, #23-01 Parkview Square, Singapore 188778.

Details of the notice of intended dividend for Hin Leong Marine International are as follows:

Name of Company : Hin Leong Marine International (Pte.) Ltd. (In Liquidation)
Unique Entity No. /Registration No.: 197501519K
Address of Registered Office : 600 North Bridge Road, #23-01 Parkview Square, Singapore 188778
Court : High Court of the Republic of Singapore
Number of Matter : HC/CWU 202/2020
Last Day for Receiving Proofs : 4 September 2026
Names of Liquidators : Leow Quek Shiong, Gary Loh Weng Fatt
Address of Liquidators : c/o BDO Advisory Pte Ltd, 600 North Bridge Road, #23-01 Parkview Square, Singapore 188778

In 2020, Manifold Times reported the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) announcing the suspension of OBS’ bunkering licences.

“Given that OBS has stopped its bunkering operations since April this year and has not been able to fulfil its licensing commitment to date, MPA has suspended their bunkering licences until further notice,” MPA was quoted as saying at the time.

Later that year, the company’s directors declared “the company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business.

Photo credit: steve pb from Pixabay
Published: 24 August, 2026

Ammonia

Mitsui E&S commercialises ammonia dual-fuel engines and fuel supply systems

Company says it has established a supply framework for marine propulsion systems aimed at the practical implementation of ammonia-fuelled vessels.

Published

2 hours ago

August 24, 2026

Admin

Mitsui E&S commercialises ammonia dual-fuel engines and fuel supply systems

Mitsui E&S on Thursday (20 August) said it has completed the commercialisation of large ammonia dual-fuel marine engines and ammonia fuel supply systems (AFSS).

As the only company in Japan manufacturing both ammonia dual fuel engines and AFSS, the company said it has established a supply framework for marine propulsion systems aimed at the practical implementation of ammonia-fuelled vessels.

“While ammonia holds promise as a next-generation fuel that emits no carbon dioxide during combustion, it is difficult to ignite and poses risks related to toxicity and corrosiveness; therefore, ensuring safety, reliability, and environmental performance is crucial for its practical implementation in society,” it said.

In February, Mitsui E&S conducted land-based tests involving the integrated operation of the Ammonia dual fuel engine MITSUI-Everllence B&W 7S60ME-C10.5-LGIA-HPSCR and the AFSS, witnessed by ClassNK (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai), and verified their performance.

Following the completion of the tests and the subsequent review, Mitsui E&S confirmed the completion of onshore testing in accordance with classification society rules and verified compliance with International Maritime Organization (IMO) NOx regulations through NOx certification.

“Consequently, we have finalised the commercialisation of the ammonia dual fuel engines and the AFSS and are now able to supply it for actual vessels,” it added.

Mitsui E&S said it has already decided to expand its land-based testing facilities for AFSS compatible with both Everllence and WinGD licensed engines.

“In conjunction with this, we will establish a mass-production system for both the engines and the AFSS to meet the anticipated rise in demand,” it said.

Mitsui E&S added the company is expanding its engine lineup to accommodate a diverse range of next-generation marine fuels, including ammonia, by offering ammonia-fuelled engines and AFSS as an integrated package.

Photo credit: Mitsui E&S
Published: 24 August, 2026

Digital platform

Former DFDS CEO Torben Carlsen appointed Chair of digital bunkering platform Ofiniti

With decades of experience in international shipping, Ofiniti says Carlsen brings both strategic leadership and a strong perspective from the shipowner and customer side of the industry.

Published

2 hours ago

August 24, 2026

Admin

Former DFDS CEO Torben Carlsen appointed Chair of digital bunkering platform Ofiniti

Ofiniti, a maritime technology company digitalising the operational side of the global bunkering industry, on Friday (21 August) announced the appointment of Torben Carlsen as its Chair.

With the former DFDS CEO heading its Board of Directors, Ofiniti strengthens both its strategic leadership and perspective from the demand side as the company enters its next phase of international growth.

Ofiniti handles planning, operational coordination, execution and digital documentation of marine fuel deliveries across the world’s major bunkering hubs. Its technology connects the different stages of a bunker operation, helping suppliers, buyers and infrastructure providers coordinate and execute fuel deliveries with greater visibility and control.

The company said bunkering is a complex operation involving fuel suppliers, shipowners, bunker vessels, terminals, ports and other stakeholders that must coordinate around timing, location, capacity and documentation. Yet much of the information exchange and coordination still takes place across disconnected systems and manual processes.

Ofiniti’s ambition is to bring the industry into one connected operational ecosystem across supply, demand and the infrastructure that enables bunker operations.

The platform combines operational visibility, digital delivery and documentation, and operational intelligence into a shared view of bunker operations. This enables stakeholders to adapt as conditions change, execute deliveries with greater control and use data from each operation to continuously improve planning and execution.

Carlsen will play an important role in that development.

Carlsen, Chair of Ofiniti, said: “After many years in the shipping industry, I know how critical fuel and bunker operations are to both economics and day-to-day operations.

“What I find particularly interesting about Ofiniti is that the company is addressing a very tangible challenge in shipping: How do we better connect the many players involved in a bunker operation? Ofiniti has already established a strong position, and I see significant potential in bringing supply, demand and infrastructure closer together.”

Ofiniti has historically built a strong position on the supplier side of the bunkering industry. An important part of the company’s next phase is to create greater connectivity across the entire ecosystem, including closer engagement with the companies buying and receiving marine fuel.

With decades of experience in international shipping, Carlsen brings both strategic leadership and a strong perspective from the shipowner and customer side of the industry.

Tue Raguse, CEO of Ofiniti, said: “We have built our position very close to the operational side of bunkering. But our ambition is bigger than optimising one part of the value chain. We want to connect supply, demand and the infrastructure that enables the industry, and that requires us to understand the entire ecosystem – particularly the buyers of marine fuel.”

“With Torben, we gain a highly experienced international industry leader who has sat on the customer side and understands what matters to a major shipowner. He will be an important strategic sparring partner for me and the wider leadership team, while also being actively involved in the next phase of Ofiniti’s development and helping us accelerate both organic and inorganic growth.”

Photo credit: Ofiniti
Published: 24 August, 2026