The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) issued an Expression of Interest (EOI) on 14 December 2023 to invite interested parties to submit proposals for the supply of methanol as a marine bunker fuel in the Port of Singapore.
In particular, the EOI aims to gather proposals for the implementation of end-to-end methanol bunkering solutions in Singapore from 2025. The goal is to ensure a resilient supply of methanol to meet the international bunkering needs in the Port of Singapore given the expected delivery of methanol-capable vessels in the coming years.
In May, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) welcomed studies, pilots and collaborations that contribute to the maritime sector’s decarbonization efforts but asked for validation of results and further action to ensure safety.
The EOI focuses on three areas: (a) methanol supply sources, (b) methanol bunkering operation model at commercial scale in Singapore and, (c) alternatives to the physical transfer of methanol molecules to Singapore such as mass balancing. MPA will assess the viability of various solutions in the proposals received, which will also inform and shape the development of MPA’s methanol bunkering licensing framework.
This EOI comes after the recent completion of the world’s first ship-to-containership methanol bunkering operation on 27 July 2023 in Singapore. Aside from the Technical Reference (TR) for methanol bunkering that will be developed, MPA is also working with industry partners to study methanol supplies, infrastructure requirements such as terminal facilities and methanol-carrying bunker tankers, seafarers training, and bunkering standards, as part of the broader effort to operationalise methanol bunkering and supply methanol at scale in the Port of Singapore.
The launch of this EOI marks an important step towards development of a methanol licensing framework to enable the supply of methanol at scale in the Port of Singapore. We look forward to working closely with interested parties on this effort which will be integral to help international shipping transit to green energy.
..Teo Eng Dih, MPA Chief Executive said.
In a concerted effort to drive sustainable practices within the maritime sector, several key industry players are actively exploring alternative fuel solutions in Singapore.
- Mitsui & Co., Ltd. (Mitsui), Mitsui & Co, Energy Trading Singapore Pte. Ltd.(METS), Maersk Oil Trading, a part of A.P Moller – Maersk (MOT) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) agreed to jointly conduct a detailed feasibility study of methanol bunkering logistics in Singapore.
- In October, Vitol has announced that it will deliver specialised biofuel bunker barges to Singapore in early 2024. Through its subsidiaries (V-Bunkers and Vitol Bunkers), the company will be able to offer a range of biofuel blends such as B24, B30, and even up to B100.
- FueLNG’s vessel Bellina has carried out the first simultaneous operations (SIMOPS) LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) bunkering in Southeast Asia.
- In June, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and Green Marine Bunkering announced they have entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a joint development study on methanol as a new marine fuel in Singapore.
