Singapore port ready for commercial-scale methanol bunkering

Singapore-based shipowner X-Press Feeders, Global Energy Trading Pte Ltd (GET), and PSA Singapore (PSA) completed the first simultaneous methanol bunkering and cargo operation (SIMOPS) in Singapore on 27 May 2024.

The SIMOPS was conducted at the new Tuas Port with the support of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), together with various government agencies and local research institutions. The use of the mass flow metering (MFM) system for methanol, together with the use of digital bunkering, was also trialled during the SIMOPS.

The operation involved an X-Press Feeder container vessel on its maiden voyage from Asia to Europe, which was refuelled with close to 300 metric tonnes (MT) of bio-methanol by GET, a MPA-licensed bunker supplier, using MT Kara, a dedicated IMO type II chemical bunker tanker operated by Stellar Shipmanagement Services. The methanol fuel was supplied simultaneously while the container vessel was completing container moves.

X-Press Feeders took delivery of its first methanol-powered feeder vessel, Eco Maestro earlier this month. Eco Maestro is the first of a series of four methanol dual fuel 1,260 TEU containerships, and it will navigate feeder routes in Northern Europe.

Read more: First methanol-powered feeder joins X-Press Feeders’ fleet

The cargo operation was carried out with the use of PSA’s double trolley quay cranes and automated guided vehicles at Tuas Port. The SIMOPS was completed in four hours.

This follows the inaugural ship-to-containership methanol bunkering for the Laura Maersk in July 2023, and the successful ship-to-ship methanol bunkering of close to 1,340 metric tonnes of blended methanol for the Stena Prosperous on 24 May 2024, MPA said.

Singapore is ready

“With these operations, the Port of Singapore is ready for commercial scale operations for shore-to-ship, ship-to-ship, and SIMOPS for methanol, and the same methodology is being followed for other new maritime fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen,” MPA Singapore said.

The ISCC-certified bio-methanol used for the SIMOPS was produced by OCI Global and supplied via GET. The fuel was lifted at Vopak Penjuru Terminal, Singapore.

“The successful execution of the SIMOPS is the outcome of many months of preparation for tripartite stakeholders to plan, prepare, and train to ensure the safety of the crew, port and vessel while maintaining a high level of efficiency. The learnings gained from these operations will help to further refine the various SOPs and safety measures,” Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive, MPA, said.

“Today marks a historic milestone for both Singapore and the global maritime industry. Our vessel was not just the first to berth alongside here in Singapore and refuelled with green methanol, which reduces carbon emissions by 65% as compared to conventional marine fuel, but we were also the first in Singapore to achieve this while simultaneously loading and discharging cargo,” Francis Goh, Chief Operating Officer at X-Press Feeders said.

“These achievements demonstrate Singapore’s position at the forefront of the global maritime industry’s transition to renewable fuels.”

“The successful completion of simultaneous cargo operations and methanol bunkering at PSA Tuas Port stands as a testament to our shared commitment to curb carbon emissions and adopt cleaner alternative fuels. PSA strives to strengthen our competitiveness as a leading transhipment hub facilitating global trade by working with like-minded partners to promote green and sustainable development that can help accelerate decarbonisation across the entire maritime value chain,” Nelson Quek, Regional CEO Southeast Asia, PSA International, said.

Ahead of methanol bunkering operations, crew members from Kara received mandatory training at Singapore Maritime Academy’s Marine Energy Training Facility to handle methanol as a marine fuel and respond to associated emergencies.

MPA said that it has seen significant industry interest for the supply of methanol fuel in the port with over 50 submissions received. MPA is currently working on developing a Technical Reference and regulatory framework for methanol bunkering, aiming to ensure safe and efficient operations in Singapore’s maritime sector. Additionally, MPA is collaborating with global partners to establish the Maritime Energy Training Facility (METF) by the 2030s, which will train over 10,000 seafarers and shore-based staff on handling future marine fuels like methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen.