The fuelling of Maersk’s first methanol-powered containership by Hong Lam Marine today (27 July) marked the first ship-to-ship methanol bunkering operation in Singapore.
The bunkering, which was undertaken with the support of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), government agencies and research institutes, saw the Maersk vessel supplied with approximately 300 metric tonnes of bio-methanol via Hong Lam Marine’s Singapore-registered tanker, MT Agility, for its onward maiden passage to Copenhagen where it will be named. The MT Agility had earlier taken bio-methanol stored at Vopak Terminals.
As previously reported, the vessel was bunkered with green methanol at the Port of Ulsan in South Korea earlier this month.
‘The success of the methanol bunkering operation is a result of nearly a year’s preparations with various government agencies, research institutes, international collaborators, and industry to develop rigorous safety procedures through in-depth operational and risk assessments, modelling, and validation,’ said Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive, MPA.
‘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 for new marine fuels.’
Morten Bo Christensen, Head of Energy Transition at A.P. Moller – Maersk, added: ‘This journey is an important step in our efforts to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, as it 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.’
Lim Tek Cheng, commented: ‘This remarkable achievement marks a milestone and demonstrates a commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, and we believe this will be a significant step in accelerating the development of methanol bunkering in Singapore.’
Related: ASIA PACIFIC: MPA gearing up for first methanol bunkering
