Singapore port completes first-ever ship-to-ship methanol bunkering

A.P. Moller - Maersk's methanol-fuelled vessel was bunkered with 300 mt of bio-methanol in the Port of Singapore. PHOTO: Hong Lam Marine’s tanker MT Agility bunkered A.P. Moller - Maersk's methanol-fuelled vessel with bio-methanol in the port of Singapore. Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore

Bio-methanol bunkering was carried out by MT Agility, a tanker operated by Singapore-based Hong Lam Marine. Maersk's vessel will next be refuelled in Rotterdam and in Egypt.

The voyage will “allow us to gain the necessary operational experience to operate the new engines and the fuel provided by OCI Global ahead of the arrival of our larger methanol-enabled vessels in the coming years,” said Morten Bo Christensen, head of energy transition at Maersk.

OCI Global supplied bio-methanol to Maersk's vessel via its OCI Hyfuels division. 

Meanwhile, the completion of methanol bunkering at one of the world's biggest ports marks a major milestone in shipping as it demonstrates that the infrastructure is in place to support the adoption of green methanol.

The ship-to-ship methanol bunkering will be a “significant step in accelerating the development of methanol bunkering in Singapore,” Hong Lam Marine’s executive chairman, Lim Teck Cheng said.

It will also lay the groundwork for future bunkering projects, such as ammonia bunkering, which is expected to begin at the Port of Singapore in 2026.

“This operation will help inform the development of the various standards, including the Technical Reference for methanol bunkering operations in Singapore, and guide our approach for future pilots and trials of new marine fuels,” said Singapore Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) chief executive, Teo Eng Dih.

By Konica Bhatt

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