Singapore has made significant progress in its ability to provide methanol bunkering on a commercial scale.

On May 24, 2024, approximately 1,340 metric tonnes (MT) of blended methanol was bunkered ship-to-ship. Next week, another operation will simultaneously bunker methanol and conduct cargo operations for a container vessel. These operations will also include testing the use of mass flow meters (MFM) and digital bunkering.

The blended methanol, comprising 20% ISCC-certified bio-methanol combined with conventional methanol, was supplied by Global Energy Trading Pte Ltd, a MPA-licensed bunker supplier, using MT KARA, a dedicated IMO type II chemical bunker tanker operated by Stellar Shipmanagement Services.

The fuel was received by the newly christened 49,900 DWT IMO II MeMAX tanker Stena Prosperous, which is commercially managed by Proman, a leading methanol producer.

This operation, which was completed in 7 hours, follows from the world's first ship-to-containership methanol bunkering conducted earlier in Singapore in July 2023 for the Laura Maersk, during which 300 MT of bio-methanol was bunkered.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) noted that the blended methanol was supplied by Proman's marketing arm, Valenz, and lifted at Vopak Penjuru Terminal, Singapore. Proman reports that the blended methanol delivers CO2e savings of 31% on a tank-to-wake2 basis compared to the same voyage operated on Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO).

The use of blended methanol provides a pathway fuel for ships to meet GHG emissions limits required by Fuel EU Maritime for ships trading in the European Union and European Economic Area.

The MPA-licensed bunker tanker MT Kara meets the requirements under the IMO's International Bulk Chemical Code for the construction and equipping of ships carrying dangerous chemicals in bulk and complies with the Standards for Port Limit Bunker Tankers. It is equipped with twin screw propulsion and a bow thruster for better manoeuvrability, among others.

MPA said it will study further enhancements for such tankers as part of its ongoing work to develop the methanol bunkering licensing framework and Port Limit Bunker Tanker requirements for methanol bunkering.

MPA said as part of the training and safety preparations for the bunkering, the crew from Kara attended the MPA-approved training course for the handling of methanol as a fuel conducted by the Singapore Maritime Academy (SMA) —one of the first in the Asia Pacific, launched in April 2024

"We continue to learn and enhance MaritimeSG's ecosystem capabilities from each bunkering operation involving new maritime fuels in terms of developing new supply chains, enhancing infrastructure support such as terminal facilities and bunker tankers, meeting seafarer training needs, setting standards for bunkering and testing our emergency response plans," said Teo Eng Dih, chief executive at the MPA.

He added, "We thank Proman, Global Energy Group and Stella Shipmanagement for the successful ship-to-ship bunkering of close to 1,340 MT of blended methanol."

"Doing so safely and efficiently is an important step towards our support to the international maritime community and complements MPA's earlier call for expression of interest for proposals to supply methanol as a marine bunker fuel at scale in Singapore," the MPA chief further said.

David Cassidy, chief executive of Proman, said the bunkering of this 20/80 green/conventional methanol blend on Stena Prosperous represents a further step forward for methanol as a marine fuel, noting that this fuel has cleaner burning properties and lower greenhouse gas emissions, delivers immediate cleaner air benefits and underlines the value of using methanol blends as part of a pathway fuel strategy to a lower emission future while helping the shipping industry to meet decarbonisation goals.

The Stena Prosperous was officially named on May 23, 2024, at a christening ceremony held at the Marina Bay Cruise Centre in Singapore. On departing Singapore, the vessel will take its cargo to the United States.