Business

Singapore: Quah Ley Hoon to step down as Chief Executive of MPA on 5 September

Mr Teo Eng Dih, currently Deputy Secretary (Policy) of the Ministry of Defence, will be appointed as Chief Executive (Designate) of MPA from 8 August to 4 September 2022.

Published

1 year ago

August 8, 2022

Admin

Ms Quah Ley Hoon, currently the Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), will be stepping down on 5 September 2022, according to Singapore’s Ministry of Transport on Friday (5 August).

Mr Teo Eng Dih, currently Deputy Secretary (Policy) of the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), will be appointed as Chief Executive (Designate) of MPA from 8 August 2022 to 4 September 2022, concurrent to his appointment in MINDEF, and take over as Chief Executive from 5 September 2022.

Ms Quah Ley Hoon

Ms Quah Ley Hoon was appointed CE (Designate) of MPA on 1 November 2018 and assumed the position of CE on 1 January 2019. Ms Quah played a pivotal role in furthering MPA’s vision as a leading maritime agency driving Singapore’s global maritime aspirations. She led MPA to complete the Tuas Port Phase 1 reclamation in 2021, which was a significant milestone in the development of Singapore’s next-generation port and in sustaining the Port of Singapore’s competitiveness and connectivity to the world. She was also instrumental in leading MPA to navigate the disruptions caused by COVID-19, while pressing on with the development and transformation of Singapore’s international maritime centre and global hub port.

Under Ms Quah’s leadership, MPA responded decisively to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, working in close partnership with the unions, companies and industry associations. Ms Quah initiated the Singapore Shipping Tripartite Alliance Resilience (SG-STAR) Fund in November 2020, the first global tripartite initiative, to work with stakeholders in seafaring nations on sustainable solutions for safe crew changes. To minimise disruptions to the maritime industry, she was instrumental in leading efforts such as Sea-Air-Vaccination Exercise and Sea Crew Vaccination Initiative to safeguard the health of both local maritime personnel as well as crew members onboard ships calling at Singapore.

Ms Quah is a strong proponent for transformation of the maritime industry, notably in pushing forward the decarbonisation and digitalisation agenda. To support and accelerate maritime decarbonisation, Ms Quah worked with the Singapore Maritime Foundation to establish the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) with private sector partners in August 2021. The GCMD has been collaborating with the industry to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping. In March 2022, MPA launched the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint which charts ambitious and concrete long-term strategies to support the maritime industry’s decarbonisation.

Maritime Singapore took significant steps forward in digital maturity during Ms Quah’s tenure when she led MPA to launch the digitalPORT@SGTM, which streamlined port clearance forms across multiple agencies into a one-stop digital clearance platform. This had enabled the industry to save up to 100,000 man-hours annually since its launch in 2019.

For her contributions to the maritime sector, Ms Quah was awarded the Medal of Commendation by NTUC in May 2022 for her work in improving workers’ wages, welfare and work prospects for seafarers amidst COVID-19, and also the Legion d’Honneur by the French Government in June 2022, for her work in keeping Singapore’s port and services open during COVID-19, and enhancing ties with France on maritime.

Prior to serving in MPA, Ms Quah was the Chief Editor of Channel News Asia, MediaCorp. Ms Quah had also served in leadership positions in the Public Service, namely, Ministry of Finance (MOF), the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), and then-Ministry of Community, Youth & Sports (MCYS) for more than 15 years.

Mr Teo Eng Dih

As Deputy Secretary (Policy) of MINDEF, Mr Teo is responsible for MINDEF’s defence policy and diplomacy, strategic and public communications, and Total Defence. Mr Teo oversaw the expansion of defence cooperation with international partners and strengthening of collaborations at the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) platform. He also enhanced MINDEF’s public engagement initiatives, including revamping the Singapore Discovery Centre. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Teo helped to coordinate MINDEF’s efforts to support the national fight against COVID-19.

Prior to MINDEF, Mr Teo was Special Assistant to then-Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and had served in various government agencies in the areas of Policy and Planning, Manpower, Strategy, Technology, Climate Change, Enterprise Services and International Trade. He obtained a Master in Chemical Engineering First Class Honours from Imperial College of Science and Technology and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School.

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 8 August, 2022

Methanol

China: Cosco Shipping and bp to explore collaboration in methanol bunker fuel

Duo signed a MoU in Shanghai to expand their scope of strategic cooperation into new areas including lubricant supply, methanol bunker fuel supply for bunkering and offshore wind supply chain.

Published

5 hours ago

December 11, 2023

Admin

China: Cosco Shipping and bp to explore collaboration into methanol bunker fuel

Cosco Shipping on Thursday (7 December) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with bp to expand their scope of strategic cooperation into new areas on 5 December in Shanghai.

“This includes Castrol Marine lubricants and hydrocarbons transportation, offshore equipment as well as exploring collaboration opportunities in areas such as methanol supply for bunkering and offshore wind supply chain,” Cosco said.

“Together, both parties will further capitalize on the business advantages of both parties, enhance synergies, and achieve complementary advantages and common development.”

William Lin, bp Group Executive Vice President, and Lin Ji, Executive Vice President of COSCO SHIPPING, witnessed the signing. Simon Yang, bp Group Senior Vice President and bp China President, and Chen Wei, Deputy Head of the Operations Division of COSCO SHIPPING, signed the document on behalf of the two parties.

Cosco said bp has been operating in China since the early 1970s and is one of the leading foreign-invested companies in China’s energy industry.

“bp and Cosco Shipping have a longstanding history of cooperation, including the transportation of energy products, offshore equipment manufacturing services, and the supply of marine fuels and lubricants,” it added.

Photo credit: Cosco Shipping
Published: 11 December, 2023

Methanol

Maersk to deploy first large methanol-powered vessel on Asia-Europe trade lane in 2024

Ship will enter service on the AE7 string connecting Asia and Europe, which includes port calls in Shanghai and Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia, with Ningbo in China, being its first destination.

Published

5 hours ago

December 11, 2023

Admin

Maersk to deploy first large methanol-powered vessel on Asia-Europe trade lane in 2024

A.P. Moller - Maersk (Maersk) on Thursday (7 December) said it was about to launch the first of its 18 large methanol-enabled vessels currently on order.

On 9 February 2024, the ship will enter service on the AE7 string connecting Asia and Europe, which includes port calls in Shanghai, Tanjung Pelepas, Colombo and Hamburg, with Ningbo, China, being its first destination.

“The container vessel built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) in South Korea has a nominal capacity of 16,000 containers (TEU) and is equipped with a dual-fuel engine enabling operations on methanol as well as biodiesel and conventional bunker fuel,” the firm said.

Maersk added it has secured sufficient green methanol to cover the vessel’s maiden voyage and continues to work diligently on 2024-25 sourcing solutions for its methanol-enabled vessel fleet.

“Deploying the first of our large methanol-enabled vessels on one of the world’s largest trade lanes, Asia - Europe, is a landmark in our journey towards our Net-Zero target. With the vessel’s capacity of 16,000 containers, this will make a significant impact in our customers’ efforts to decarbonise their supply chains, and we are looking forward to introducing more methanol-enabled vessels on this and other trades during 2024,” Karsten Kildahl Chief Commercial Officer at Maersk, said.

Ahead of its deployment, the vessel will be named at the shipyard in end January 2024. The following two sister vessels will be deployed in the first half of 2024 with naming events taking place in Yokohama, Japan, and Los Angeles, USA. Maersk said it was expected to take delivery of four additional sister vessels in the second half of 2024.

At the time of deployment of the first large vessel, it will be the only second container vessel in the world that can sail on green methanol, the first being the feeder vessel Laura Maersk which entered service in September this year.

Overview of Maersk vessels on order

Maersk has 24 container vessels on order
All vessels currently on order will be equipped with dual-fuel engines and will be able to operate on green methanol
12 of the vessels on order have a capacity of 16,000 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit containers)
6 of the vessels on order have a capacity of 17,000 TEU
6 of the vessels on order have a capacity of 9,000 TEU
Since 2021, Maersk has had a policy of only ordering new vessels able to operate on green fuels

About Maersk’s AE7 service string

The AE7 string connects Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal
The AE7 string has the following port calls: Ningbo, Shanghai, Nansha, Yantian (all China), Tanjung Pelepas (Malaysia), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Port Tangiers (Morocco), Felixstowe (UK), Hamburg (Germany), Antwerp (Belgium), London Gateway (UK), Le Havre (France), Port Tangiers, Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Abu Dhabi (UAE) and Jebel Ali (UAE)

Photo credit: A.P. Moller - Maersk
Published: 11 December, 2023

VLSFO

ENGINE: Petrobras’ new bunker price mechanism adds to Brazil market shake-up

With a new pricing mechanism now in place since 1 November, Petrobras bunker prices can change anytime throughout the day and final prices will depend on enquiries, a source says.

Published

5 hours ago

December 11, 2023

Admin

Since Brazilian petroleum firm and bunker supplier Petrobras shifted from posted bunker prices to indicative prices, Santos’ VLSFO discounts to Brazilian and foreign ports have narrowed.

Petrobras started issuing indicative bunker prices for Brazilian ports on 1 November, shifting from its usual pricing mechanism of posted prices. These posted prices were mostly fixed in nature, and did not tend to change despite movements in underlying crude values.

With a new pricing mechanism now in place, Petrobras bunker prices can change anytime throughout the day and final prices will depend on enquiries, a source says. The new pricing has been reflected in Brazilian bunker price dynamics.

Santos’ VLSFO price discount to Zona Comun’s VLSFO has come down from peak levels of $50/mt in September to around $35/mt in October and November and has further slid to just $4/mt.

VLSFO prices have also changed rapidly between Brazilian ports in recent weeks. Rio Grande’s VLSFO premium over Santos momentarily shrunk from nearly $40/mt in November to just $8/mt earlier this week, but then widened back to $42/mt.

Some argue that Petrobras decided to change the pricing mechanism because of the rise in competition in the Brazilian market. In recent months, several suppliers such as Ipiranga and Bunker One have expanded their Brazilian bunker operations, offering new grades and entering new ports in Brazil. Raizen also started VLSFO supply in the port of Itaqui and São Luiz in July this year.

Another source says that competition is mostly between Brazilian ports - as opposed to with foreign ports. Ships calling in Brazil will be able to pick and choose bunker-only ports with the best offers. Meanwhile, those vessels calling in Argentina will ideally pick bunkers from Zona Comun rather than Brazilian ports, the source adds.

By Nithin Chandran

Source: ENGINE
Photo credit: Gabriel Martins on Unsplash
Published: 11 December, 2023