Singapore: Golden Island begins fleetwide B30 biofuel bunker trial, starts tests with “Double Happiness”

Singapore bunker supplier Golden Island Diesel Oil Trading Pte Ltd (Golden Island) on 13 April supplied B30 biofuel to Double Happiness, a 4,700 metric tonne (mt) capacity bunker tanker operated by the company, as part of preparations for IMO 2030/2050.

“The Double Happiness received about 23 mt of B30 gasoil in a truck-to-ship delivery operation at Tanjung Langsat, Malaysia,” Tomohiro Yamano, General Manager, Marine Fuel Department at Golden Island told bunkering publication Manifold Times.

“We wanted to confirm claims by the engine maker that our powerplant is compatible with B30 biofuel and decided to carry out this trial to verify its performance.

“While B24 grade biofuel trials are common, we believe Golden Island to be amongst the first in the Singapore bunkering sector to test B30 product for its own bunker tanker.”

According to Yamano, Golden Island is planning to expand the B30 biofuel trial to its remaining fleet; the company operates a total of nine vessels comprising of marine fuel, oily waste disposal, and freshwater supply vessels.

“The B30 biofuel trial for the entire fleet will be a temporary one-off affair as the ships will return to consume marine gas oil (MGO) after tests,” informed Yamano who added the company is planning to conduct future loadings of B30 biofuel from Singapore port to support trials.

“IMO 2030/2050 is coming and the MPA (Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore) has published the Maritime Singapore Decarbonisation Blueprint clearly identifying carbon reduction targets for the local bunkering sector.”

The document, amongst others, requires all Singapore domestic harbour craft to achieve 15% reduction in absolute emissions from 2021 levels by 2023, and a 50% reduction in absolute emissions from 2030 levels by 2050.

MPA in early March published a factsheet ‘Strengthening Singapore’s Competitiveness as a Hub Port and International Maritime Centre’ which included local schemes on reducing carbon emissions.

“We are also aware MPA has prepared a provisional national standard on specifications of marine biofuel (WA 2:2022) to allow local bunker suppliers to supply biofuel within the Port of Singapore,” stated Yamano.

“We are simply preparing for the future.”

Manifold Times in February reported Golden Island planning to start bonded methanol bunkering operations at the republic from 2026.

Related: MPA maritime decarbonisation blueprint sets target for bunkering sector
Related: MPA factsheet outlines local schemes on reducing carbon emissions
Related: MPA develops framework to support biofuel bunker fuel deliveries
Related: Golden Island Diesel Oil Trading to start methanol bunkering operations at republic by 2026

Photo credit: Golden Island Diesel Oil Trading
Published: 27 April, 2023