Alternative Fuels

SIBCON 2022 Interview: Singapore Bunkering TC Chairman shares republic’s direction on future marine fuels

Current ISO 8217 bunker fuel standard not comprehensive enough for biofuels; National Mirror Committee working with local players to develop more comprehensive biofuels standard for Singapore, says Capt. Rahul.

Published

4 years ago

September 28, 2022

Admin

The following interview with Capt. Rahul Choudhuri, Chairman of Singapore Technical Committee for Bunkering, is part of coverage for the upcoming Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) 2022, where Manifold Times is an official media partner.

Capt. Rahul discusses the following:

The committee’s strategy in preparing the local marine fuels industry for IMO 2030
How future bunker fuels could affect bunker surveyors
Singapore’s latest bunker fuel contamination incidents and
Development plans for a local biofuel bunker standard

MT: How is the Singapore Technical Committee for Bunkering and its related government entities preparing the local marine fuels industry for IMO 2030?

The Singapore Technical Committee falls under the purview of the Singapore Standards Council and is managed by the Singapore Development Organisation at SCIC. The intention is to develop national standards that continue to raise industry awareness, productivity and of course fulfil our regulator’s requirements.

The successful implementation of the SS:648 (Code of practice for bunker mass flow metering) is a good case in point where it has not only supported the local industry in modernising and building a competitive advantage for Singapore as a bunkering hub, but also help elevate global standards through the formation of an international standard ISO 22192 (Bunkering of marine fuel using mass flow meter) which took place last year.

In terms of getting ready for sustainable fuel development, the National Mirror Committee has been working hard in getting an interim biofuel standard ready. The work in developing a code of practice for ammonia and methanol bunkering has already started but this will take time.

MT: Future marine fuels could include material which are poisonous when exposed [ammonia] or super chilled [LNG]; how will this affect traditional bunker surveyor operations, such as drip sampling and tank gauging? Do you think bunker surveyors will still be needed in the future?

I think we are seeing early days still in terms of use of such new fuels. Their present use in mainstream shipping is fairly limited. The Global Centre of Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) has embarked on an extensive study on the safety criteria for ammonia bunkering which will include sampling & quality parameters. We should wait for these findings.

The bunker surveyor’s role needs to adapt to these changes and this can mean a greater level of knowledge building. However, the primary role of the surveyor to ‘trust but verify’ still remains a fundamental that will not be changed.

MT: Do you think marine fuel quality off-spec issues, this time involving alternative bunkers such as biofuels, methanol, LNG, ammonia and hydrogen, will still take place in the future? Why?

Alternative fuels such as biofuels have different quality characteristics that will need careful consideration and effective fuel management. For example, the FAME content of biofuels will define their energy value so knowing what this is accurately will be critical. Another criteria will be the evaluation of storage considerations for such biofuels as they may degrade, in which case knowing more about their stability characteristics will be important.

MT: Is the current ISO 8217 bunker fuel standard comprehensive enough for biofuels, which is seen by many shipowners as the easiest way to meet IMO 2030 targets? Any areas which you will like to see improvement?

No, I don’t think so. This may be because many other areas are under review in the ISO 8217 and so sufficient attention has not been given to the use and management of biofuels. It is for this reason that the National Mirror Committee (under the Technical Committee for Bunkering) has taken the task to develop a more comprehensive standard for biofuels in Singapore.

MT: What lessons have Singapore taken from the bunker contamination incidents earlier this year? What measures have the government introduced to make sure such an event never happens again at the world’s biggest bunkering port?

Apart from all the extensive work done by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the industry will be aware a new Expert Group has been set up together with the Singapore Shipping Association (SSA) to look more closely at this contamination incident and what further control measures can be set. We should not underestimate the seriousness of the intention here.

At the Standards level, the SS:524 (Specification for quality management for bunker supply chain) has been revised with the intention to put greater leadership commitment and risk management in the supply chain.

A list of other interviews conducted by Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times on occasion of SIBCON 2022 are as follows:

Photo credit: Singapore Technical Committee for Bunkering
Published: 28 September, 2022

Newbuilding

Yang Ming names third 15,500 TEU LNG dual-fuel boxship in South Korea

Company held a naming ceremony at HD HHI shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, for “YM Wayfinder”, the third vessel in its series of LNG dual-fuel container vessels built by HD HHI.

Published

11 hours ago

June 29, 2026

Admin

Yang Ming names third 15,500 TEU LNG dual-fuel boxship in South Korea

Taiwanese shipping firm Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation (Yang Ming) on Friday (26 June) said it held a naming ceremony at the HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, for YM Wayfinder.

It is the third vessel in its series of 15,500 TEU-class LNG dual-fuel container vessels built by HD HHI.

Mrs. Wei-Nung Kao, the spouse of Yang Ming’s Chairman, Mr. Feng-Ming Tsai, was invited as the Godmother to officially name the vessel and perform the ceremonial cord-cutting.

As additional LNG dual-fuel vessels join the fleet, Yang Ming will enhance operational efficiency, strengthen service competitiveness, and further reduce fleet carbon intensity to provide customers with low-carbon transportation services.

This series of vessels built by HD HHI has a length overall (LOA) of 364.97 metres, a breadth of 51 metres, and a capacity of approximately 15,600 TEU.

In alignment with the global net-zero emissions target by 2050, Yang Ming has been actively expanding its energy-efficient fleet and is the first container shipping company in Taiwan to operate vessels utilising LNG as an alternative fuel.

Equipped with high-pressure dual-fuel main engines that run on both LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil, this series of vessels primarily utilises LNG as fuel upon delivery, which immediately reduces greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 20% compared to conventional fuel oil.

Two sister vessels in the LNG dual-fuel series, YM Willpower and YM Worthiness, are already in service and primarily operate on LNG. To date, the two vessels have bunkered more than 11,158 metric tonnes (mt) of LNG, which is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 12,532 mt.

YM Wayfinder is scheduled to commence service on the Asia-North Europe FE3 service on 1 July.

The vessel’s deployment will enable Yang Ming to maximise slot utilization and enhance the competitiveness of its service network while fulfilling the company’s commitment to providing comprehensive, efficient, and energy-saving transportation services for customers.

The comprehensive port rotation for the FE3 service is: Qingdao – Ningbo – Yantian – Singapore – Felixstowe – Antwerp – Hamburg.

Photo credit: Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation
Published: 29 June, 2026

Ammonia

Pilbara Ports confirms plans for first ammonia bunkering trial in late 2026

This comes following Fortescue and CMB.TECH announcing their landmark agreement to introduce dual-fuelled ammonia bulk-carriers to the Pilbara.

Published

11 hours ago

June 29, 2026

Admin

Pilbara Ports confirms plans for first ammonia bunkering trial in late 2026

Australia’s Pilbara Ports Authority on Friday (26 June) confirmed progress of its plans for the first ammonia bunkering trial at the Port of Port Hedland later this year.

On its website, the port authority said ammonia-fuelled vessels are expected to begin visiting Pilbara as early as this year.

This comes following Fortescue and CMB.TECH announcing their landmark agreement to introduce dual-fuelled ammonia bulk-carriers to the Pilbara, a significant milestone in accelerating the transition to low-carbon shipping.

The port authority said the announcement reflects the growing global momentum behind ammonia as a marine fuel and the collective effort across industry to decarbonise supply chains.

On 22 June, Fortescue said it signed an agreement with CMB.TECH for the charter of up to 12 ammonia-capable vessels.

Under the agreement, Fortescue will charter a fleet of 12 Newcastlemax dry bulk vessels (210,000 dwt) from Bocimar, CMB.TECH’s dry bulk shipping operator.

Up to three of the vessels will be delivered with dual-fuel ammonia engines and are expected to enter service by the end of 2026. The remaining nine vessels will be ammonia-ready and can be converted to operate on ammonia in the future.

“At Pilbara Ports, we’re proud to be supporting this transition, with plans progressing for our first ammonia refuelling trial at the Port of Port Hedland later this year,” the port authority said.

“This work will help ensure the Pilbara is ready – with the infrastructure, safety frameworks and operational capability needed to support the next generation of cleaner vessels.”

Photo credit: Pilbara Ports AuthorityPublished: 29 June, 2026

Alternative Fuels

Evos Rotterdam starts construction on methanol and ethanol expansion project

Once operational in early 2028, the expansion will give Evos Rotterdam greater capacity to handle methanol and ethanol for industrial customers, as well as for low-carbon marine fuels and bunkering.

Published

11 hours ago

June 29, 2026

Admin

Evos Rotterdam starts construction on methanol and ethanol expansion project

Evos Rotterdam on Thursday (25 June) said it has held the ground-breaking ceremony for its methanol and ethanol expansion project at the Port of Rotterdam, formally starting the construction phase of a major investment in additional terminal capacity.

The project comprises five new storage tanks with a combined gross capacity of 67,500 cubic metres, a new pump station and a new jetty, developed in close cooperation with the Port of Rotterdam.

Once operational in early 2028, the expansion will give Evos Rotterdam greater capacity to handle methanol and ethanol for industrial customers, as well as for the developing market in cleaner, low-carbon marine fuels and bunkering.

Daan Vos, CEO of Evos, said: “This ground-breaking ceremony is the starting point for the construction phase of a project that has required close cooperation, technical focus and long-term commitment.

“I would like to thank the Port of Rotterdam, our contractors and all project partners who joined us and who have helped bring the project to this stage.

“This expansion strengthens Rotterdam’s position in methanol and ethanol logistics, including low-carbon methanol, and gives our customers the capacity they need as markets continue to change.”

Christiaan Kop, Managing Director Evos Rotterdam, said: “Thank you to everyone who joined us to officially start this project. It was a strong beginning for an excellent project.

“I would also like to thank the project team for helping to organise the ceremony so well. The team has shown the professionalism and confidence this project deserves.”

Photo credit: Evos Rotterdam
Published: 29 June, 2026