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Singapore gets ready for its first methanol bunkering this week after one year preparation

Operation will take place between the world’s first methanol-fuelled container vessel by Maersk and Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd’s Singapore-registered tanker “MT Agility”, says head of MPA.

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Singapore is preparing for its first methanol bunkering operation this week, according to Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of Maritime and Port Authority Singapore (MPA) on Monday (24 July).

The operation will take place between the world's first methanol-fuelled container vessel by A.P. Moller - Maersk and Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd’s Singapore-registered tanker MT Agility

The containership is on her maiden voyage from Ulsan to Copenhagen, where a delivery and naming ceremony will be held in September.

He said preparations for methanol bunkering have taken close to a year. 

During the Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2023, various presentations highlighted the systemic approach taken by the MPA, government agencies, first responders, industry partners and researchers on preparations and working together to further the R&D envelope of metocean modelling and nautical science. We conducted the first of a series of tabletop exercises (TTX) for methanol bunkering with more than 28 participating agencies and companies.

Following the TTX on 26 April, MPA held a two-day HAZID and HAZOP workshop with agencies and partners involved in the operation (including American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Hong Lam Marine, Maersk Oil Trading, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Mitsui & Co. Energy Trading Singapore Pte. Ltd. (METS), reps from government agencies such as National Environment Agency and Singapore Civil Defence Force etc.) as part of additional QRAs. The objectives were to augment and contextualise hazardous scenarios, share lessons from past incidents, stress-test assumptions and recommend additional measures.

“While methanol loading/unloading operations are not new to Singapore, methanol is new as a maritime fuel, agencies & partners reviewed the operation parameters,” he said.

Eng said in this case, six phases were worked on, namely the arrival of the bunker vessel to receiving vessel, connection and piping, bunkering operation, disconnection and purging, departure of vessels and crew and seafarer competency. 

MPA also reviewed vessel designs and 42 recommendations were implemented, including the novel use of drones, weather and tide forecasting, continuous plume modelling and monitoring to support the operations.

Stakeholders and agency representatives convened further exercises before a full ground deployment exercise (GDX) at sea with MT Agility, assets by agencies on 20 July to validate the effectiveness of our coordination & emergency preparedness, readiness and responses.

“Methanol bunkering infrastructure is already available in Singapore. We also congratulate OCI Global, Maersk, and partners on developing green methanol supply for this voyage and beyond. With maritime shipping expected to make further strides since the International Maritime Organization MEPC80, green/biomethanol as a new maritime fuel is likely to grow apace with more methanol-enabled vessels being delivered in the coming years,” he concluded.

“MPA looks forward to a safe and successful methanol bunkering operation.”

Related: MPA organises workshop on safe handling of methanol bunker fuel in Singapore
Related: SMW 2023: Methanol-based spill scenario organised for ICOPCE table-top exercise
Related: OCI Global completes first green methanol bunkering of Maersk methanol-fuelled boxship
Related: Maersk orders six more green methanol-powered container ships from Chinese shipbuilder
Related: OCI Global to deliver green methanol bunker fuel for Maersk boxship on maiden voyage
Related: EC President to be godmother of Maersk green methanol powered vessel
Related: Maersk to hold festivities welcoming world’s first green methanol-powered boxship in September

 

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority Singapore
Published: 25 July, 2023

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Methanol

Marine Fuels 360: Methanol presents easiest path towards maritime decarbonisation, says DNV

Captain Singh was confident the bunkering infrastructure in Singapore will be ready to welcome methanol-fuelled vessels due to the coordinated efforts between various agencies.

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Capt Satinder

The use of methanol as a bunker fuel presents the least path of resistance towards maritime decarbonisation, believes the Principal Consultant, Head, Research and Development, Maritime Advisory, SE Asia, Pacific, and India at classification society DNV.

Captain Satinder Singh Virdi was speaking amongst panellists in the Methanol Panel session at Marine Fuels 360 on Tuesday (28 November) when he offered an opinion about reasons behind the increasing awareness of methanol as a marine fuel.

“The ease of adopting methanol is perhaps one of the reasons. The product exists as a liquid at ambient temperature and has been carried on vessels for the last 80 years, so it is not something new,” he stated.

“What is new is we're going to use methanol as a bunker fuel. Ease of adoption, ESG compliance, as well as getting closer to decarbonisation goals are the drivers for shipowners adopting methanol.”

According to Captain Singh, the trend for methanol-fuelled newbuildings have continued in October where DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform recorded 230 vessels on order where 156 comprises of containerships.

“The trend started when Maersk increased their newbuild order of methanol-fuelled vessels; before that it was mostly LNG as an alternate fuel,” he said.

Captain Singh was confident the bunkering infrastructure in Singapore will be ready to welcome methanol-fuelled vessels due to the coordinated efforts between the Singapore Shipping Association, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, and other organisations.

“We are all working together to support Singapore’s future maritime operations. Singapore is an international maritime centre, and we want to establish ourselves as the leading maritime city,” he explained.

“I would call this a cohesive action by all relevant partners, such as shipowners, charterers, classification societies, ship managers, bunker testing firms, mass flow meter manufacturers, bunkering companies, and more.

“It is important for Singapore to be seen as a fair supporter of bunkering in terms of reliability and reputation, and if things go wrong actions are taken very strictly to ensure transparency and quality. So, in that way I am satisfied to say that ‘yes’ we have what it takes to make methanol bunkering happen.”

Related: DNV: Methanol-fuelled order trend continues, with first ammonia DF newbuilding contracts recorded in Oct
Related: Maersk invests USD 700.3 million for additional four methanol-fuelled container newbuilds

Other related: Singapore: Equatorial Marine Fuel builds four “new generation” methanol-ready bunker tankers
Other related: MPA: Due diligence carried out prior to recent Singapore methanol bunkering pilot
Other related: VPS completes quantity survey on Singapore’s first methanol bunkering op
Other related: The Methanol Institute: Singapore takes first-mover advantage in Asia with methanol bunkering pilot
Other related: Singapore bunkering sector enters milestone with first methanol marine refuelling op
Other related: Singapore gets ready for its first methanol bunkering this week after one year preparation
Other related: The Methanol Institute: Singapore takes first-mover advantage in Asia with methanol bunkering pilot

Photo credit: Informa
Published: 6 November 2023

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Ammonia

Höegh Autoliners, Sumitomo to collaborate on ammonia bunker fuel supply for PCTCs in Singapore, Jacksonville

Duo will embark on a comprehensive evaluation of the compatibility between Höegh Autoliners PCTC newbuilds and ammonia bunkering facilities at the identified bunker ports.

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Höegh Autoliners, Sumitomo to collaborate on ammonia bunker fuel supply for PCTCs in Singapore, Jacksonville

Norway-based pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs) vessel owner and operator Höegh Autoliners on Tuesday (5 December) said it has agreed with Sumitomo Corporation to look into the supply of clean ammonia as a bunker fuel at the ports of Singapore and Jacksonville, USA from 2027 onwards.

The two companies have formalised their commitment through a Letter of Intent to collaborate on the supply and delivery of clean ammonia as a next-generation sustainable maritime fuel for Höegh Autoliners’ upcoming Aurora Class PCTC vessels. 

The twelve vessels are set to become the largest and most eco-friendly car carriers ever built and they will have the capability to run on zero-carbon ammonia or carbon neutral methanol. 

“The Letter of Intent symbolises a remarkable step in the realisation and development of the production and consumption of clean maritime fuels. The collaboration hopes to stimulate the upscaling of the supply and demand of clean ammonia for maritime usage,” Höegh Autoliners said in a statement. 

Both companies view clean ammonia as a promising future fuel for the maritime industry, offering substantial potential in addressing the challenges associated with greenhouse gas emissions in global shipping. 

To support this vision, both entities have launched a range of initiatives throughout the ammonia value chain, with a primary focus on making clean ammonia a viable choice for maritime fuel and thereby achieving significant reductions in emissions from the global shipping sector.

Moving forward, the companies will embark on a comprehensive evaluation of the compatibility between the PCTC vessels and the ammonia bunkering facilities at the identified bunker ports. 

They endeavour to make necessary adjustments to specifications for both “shore-to-ship” and “ship-to-ship” bunkering operations and undertake safety assessments to establish standardised operational protocols and regulations in close coordination with pertinent government agencies.

Photo credit: Höegh Autoliners
Published: 6 December, 2023

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Alternative Fuels

CENIT and Hinicio to explore feasibility of zero-carbon bunkers in Colombia

Mission is to explore the feasibility of producing, storing, supplying, and exporting zero-carbon bunker fuels at strategic port locations in Colombia, says centre.

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Luis Desiro on Unsplash

The Centre for Innovation in Transport (CENIT) on Tuesday (5 December) said it was teaming up with Hinicio, a strategy consulting firm focused on sustainable energy and mobility, for a project funded by The World Bank in Colombia.

CENIT said their mission was to explore the feasibility of producing, storing, supplying, and exporting zero-carbon bunker fuels at strategic port locations in Colombia.

“The shipping industry is poised to become a major demand centre for zero-carbon fuels, particularly green hydrogen-based options like green ammonia and green methanol,” CENIT said in a social media post. 

“And it will play a pivotal role in transporting these zero-carbon fuels from emerging production hubs in Latin America to high-demand centres in Europe and East Asia.”

“This project takes us a step closer to decarbonising ports and fostering a sustainable future for maritime transportation.”

Photo credit: Luis Desiro on Unsplash
Published: 6 December, 2023

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