The first Singapore technical standard for LNG bunkering, termed Technical Reference (TR) 56, was launched on Friday by Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), SPRING Singapore and Standards Development Organisation @ Singapore Chemical Industry Council (SDO@SCIC).
The TR56 is aimed at providing a safe, efficient, sustainable and transparent technical framework for conducting LNG bunkering operations in Singapore, thereby offering greater assurance to local and international LNG bunker buyers and suppliers.
Before TR56, Singapore has no comprehensive standard guidelines in place for LNG bunkering procedures in Singapore port.
The Singapore government has been working closely with industry players to advance the development of Singapore as a leading LNG bunkering and gas trading hub.
MPA’s LNG bunkering pilot programme commenced early this year and will utilise TR 56 and help the industry gain operational experience in LNG bunkering.
“While it may take time for LNG to take off as a marine fuel globally, we have taken steps to kick-start LNG bunkering in Singapore through our LNG Bunkering Pilot Programme, one of them being the development of TR 56,” said M Segar, MPA’s assistant chief executive (operations).
“The document will ensure Pavilion Gas and FueLNG, MPA’s two appointed LNG bunker supplier licensees, conduct LNG bunkering operations of high quality with regards to safety as well as quantity and quality assurance,” he added.
Michael Chia, chairman of FueLNG, said: “The Technical Reference provides strong guidance to LNG bunker licence holders on the operating parameters of LNG Bunkering. Of particular importance for this nascent industry are the guidelines on safety and reliability.”
With the shipping industry looking at solutions to meet the more stringent IMO regulation on limiting the sulphur content of bunker fuel at 0.5% from 2020 on a global scale, the TR56 for LNG bunkering would allow Singapore to stay in line with global regulation by being able to offer cleaner, alternative sources of fuel.
TR56 is applicable to bunkering of both ocean-going vessels and harbour craft.
The scope of the technical reference covers LNG delivery from LNG bunkering facilities (trucking, shore, terminal, shipping and tankers lifting facilities) to receiving ships through four modes of transfer – truck-to-ship, shore-to-ship, ship-to-ship and cassette bunkering.
In February 2016, Singapore launched the TR48 for mass flow meter (MFM) bunkering ahead of the 1 January 2017 mandatory use of MFM for all bunker fuel deliveries in Singapore port.
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