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Singapore gets its first methanol bunkering vessel

Singapore has welcomed the delivery of its first methanol bunkering vessel, marking its commitment to serve as a living lab for bunkering alternative fuels.

Michele Labrut, Americas Correspondent

December 15, 2023

2 Min Read
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Singapore, a global maritime bunkering hub, has welcomed the delivery of its first methanol bunkering vessel, marking its commitment to serve as a living lab for bunkering alternative fuels. This aligns with the broader maritime industry’s efforts toward decarbonisation.

Stellar Shipmanagement Services Pte, a wholly owned subsidiary of Global Energy Group, has taken delivery of the 4,000 dwt IMO Type 2 chemical and oil tanker, MT Maple. The vessel, classed by Bureau Veritas, was built by Sasaki Shipbuilding Co., Hiroshima, Japan.

The new bunkering tanker is scheduled to join the GET fleet by the end of 2023.

MT Maple is equipped with twin-screw propulsion, flow boom and a mass flow metering system, and is compliant with MPA’s current licensing requirements for oil product bunker tankers.

The ship’s cargo tanks are specifically coated with inorganic zinc silicates for the carriage of methanol.

A team from Stellar, that will provide full technical management, and crewing services for the fleet of 20 tankers owned by the Global Energy Group, supervised the construction of the bunkering tanker.

“We believe IMO Type 2 tankers will be the next generation of bunkering tankers to serve the industry, offering the flexibility to handle a wider range of marine fuels, in particular biofuels and methanol. With this addition, we will be able to trade and supply two low carbon transitional marine fuels which will support the shipping industry with a pivotal step on its decarbonization journey,” Loh Hong Leong, Managing Director of Global Energy Group, said.

Related:Hayfin orders 2+2 methanol-ready Suezmaxes at HHI

“The delivery of Singapore’s first dedicated methanol bunkering vessel is an important step to support the adoption of alternative low-carbon fuels by shipping. By enabling the delivery of methanol to vessels calling at Singapore, the new vessel will contribute to developing the industry’s supply and bunkering capabilities, which are essential to scale up those fuels and ensure their availability,” David Barrow, Marine & Offshore, Vice-President South Asia and Pacific, Bureau Veritas, said.

Methanol is gaining growing popularity among industry majors as an alternative fuel, with orders being placed from various sectors, led predominantly by container shipping companies.

With the first dedicated methanol bunkering tanker built, GET, Stellar Shipmanagement, and Bureau Veritas are now part of a working group spearheaded by the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to introduce a new bunkering procedure for the safe handling and delivery of methanol as a marine fuel to ships refuelling in the port of Singapore.

Related:Methanol focused ship management joint venture launched

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About the Author

Michele Labrut

Americas Correspondent

Michèle Labrut is a long-time Panama resident, a journalist and correspondent, and has continuously covered the maritime sector of Central & Latin America.

Michèle first came to Panama as a press attaché to the French Embassy and then returned to the isthmus as a foreign correspondent in the 1980s.

Author of Seatrade Maritime's annual Panama Maritime Review magazine and of several books, Michèle also wrote for Time magazine, The Miami Herald, NBC News and the Economist Intelligence Unit. She has also collaborated in making several documentaries for the BBC and European and U.S. television networks.

Michèle's profession necessitates a profound knowledge of the country, but her acumen is not from necessity alone, but a genuine passion for Panama.

In 2012 she was awarded the Order of Merit (Knight grade) by the French Government for her services to international journalism and in 2021 the upgrade to Chevalier grade.

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