Singapore gets ready for its first methanol bunkering this week after one year preparation

Alternative Fuels

Published Tue, 25th July 2023
by Admin

Operation will take place between the world's first methanol-fuelled container vessel by Maersk and Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd’s Singapore-registered tanker “MT Agility”, says head of MPA.

Singapore is preparing for its first methanol bunkering operation this week, according to Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of Maritime and Port Authority Singapore (MPA) on Monday (24 July).

The operation will take place between the world’s first methanol-fuelled container vessel by A.P. Moller – Maersk and Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd’s Singapore-registered tanker MT Agility.

The containership is on her maiden voyage from Ulsan to Copenhagen, where a delivery and naming ceremony will be held in September.

He said preparations for methanol bunkering have taken close to a year.

During the Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2023, various presentations highlighted the systemic approach taken by the MPA, government agencies, first responders, industry partners and researchers on preparations and working together to further the R&D envelope of metocean modelling and nautical science. We conducted the first of a series of tabletop exercises (TTX) for methanol bunkering with more than 28 participating agencies and companies.

Following the TTX on 26 April, MPA held a two-day HAZID and HAZOP workshop with agencies and partners involved in the operation (including American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Hong Lam Marine, Maersk Oil Trading, Mitsui & Co., Ltd., Mitsui & Co. Energy Trading Singapore Pte. Ltd. (METS), reps from government agencies such as National Environment Agency and Singapore Civil Defence Force etc.) as part of additional QRAs. The objectives were to augment and contextualise hazardous scenarios, share lessons from past incidents, stress-test assumptions and recommend additional measures.

“While methanol loading/unloading operations are not new to Singapore, methanol is new as a maritime fuel, agencies & partners reviewed the operation parameters,” he said.

Eng said in this case, six phases were worked on, namely the arrival of the bunker vessel to receiving vessel, connection and piping, bunkering operation, disconnection and purging, departure of vessels and crew and seafarer competency.

MPA also reviewed vessel designs and 42 recommendations were implemented, including the novel use of drones, weather and tide forecasting, continuous plume modelling and monitoring to support the operations.

Stakeholders and agency representatives convened further exercises before a full ground deployment exercise (GDX) at sea with MT Agility, assets by agencies on 20 July to validate the effectiveness of our coordination & emergency preparedness, readiness and responses.

“Methanol bunkering infrastructure is already available in Singapore. We also congratulate OCI Global, Maersk, and partners on developing green methanol supply for this voyage and beyond. With maritime shipping expected to make further strides since the International Maritime Organization MEPC80, green/biomethanol as a new maritime fuel is likely to grow apace with more methanol-enabled vessels being delivered in the coming years,” he concluded.

“MPA looks forward to a safe and successful methanol bunkering operation.”

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority Singapore
Published: 25 July, 2023

Singapore gets ready for its first methanol bunkering this week after one year preparation

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