The Port of Singapore has succeeded in achieving its first methanol bunkering operation.
The 2 100-TEU Maersk feeder vessel, which is yet to be named, was delivered earlier this month as the world’s first methanol-powered containership. The ship-to-ship bunkering operation was performed on Thursday before the vessel set sail on its maiden voyage from South Korea to Copenhagen, Denmark.
Hong Lam Marine performed the bunkering operation using its bunkering vessel MT Agility at the Raffles Reserved Anchorage at the world’s largest bunkering port. The vessel fuelled the box ship with 300 metric tons of carbon-neutral biomethanol supplied by OCI Global.
Teo Eng Dih, chief executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), said the successful operation was the result of nearly a year’s preparations, involving government agencies, research institutes, international collaborators and the industry.
He said the preparations had included the development of “rigorous safety procedures through in-depth operational and risk assessments, modelling, and validation”.
“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,” he said.
The feeder vessel powered by green methanol is the first of 25 green methanol-powered ships ordered by Maersk, which aims to be carbon-neutral by 2040.
