At its first meeting, held on 29 June 2017 , the newly-elected Singapore Shipping Association Council decided that it would form a new Operational Committee, the Marine Fuels Committee. In addition to addressing operational issues relating to bunkering operations, which were previously addressed by the SSA’s Bunkering Sub-Committee, the new Committee will also address issues as preparing Singapore’s bunkering sector for the 0.5% global sulphur cap and the rise of LNG as a marine fuel.
Bunkering has always been a critical component of Singapore’s maritime ecosystem. Even in the face of a challenging business environment, bunker sales in Singapore have generally continued to grow year on year, with a record 48.5 million tonnes lifted in 2016. This has been accompanied by the introduction of new initiatives and techniques, such as the mandatory use of mass flow meters for bunker deliveries at the start of 2017.
There has also been increasing interest in the field of marine fuels in general, including the use of alternatives such as LNG. This is due in large part to commercial and regulatory interest in issues such as the pending 0.5% sulphur cap, which will come into force in 2020, and the increasing interest in fuel consumption for ships, and how it might impact their CO2 emissions.
“Bunkering has always been a very important segment of our industry, and issues relating to bunker and marine fuels in general have grown increasingly complex. As such, in the anticipation that owners will take an increasing interest in what their ships consume, we have formed the Marine Fuels Committee to help ensure that our members will be well-prepared for the future. The Committee will be chaired by SSA Councillor, Ms. Caroline Yang”, said Mr. Esben Poulsson, SSA President.
