Singapore's full-year bunker volumes are expected by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to hit a fresh high of about 40 million tonnes this year, said Raymond Lim, Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the 16th Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (Sibcon), yesterday.
'From January to September this year, sales grew a further 12 per cent. (MPA) expects full-year volumes to reach about 40 million tonnes this year,' said Mr Lim. 'Our record bunker sales would not have been possible without a strong partnership between government and industry.'
Since January, the MPA has issued five new bunkering licences to bunker suppliers - Brightoil, Universal, Southern Petrochemical, Vermont-UM and Noble Resources.
Already the world's busiest bunkering port, Singapore saw its bunker sales hit a high of 36.4 million tonnes last year. Its bunker volume of 3.56 million tonnes in July this year was Singapore's fifth consecutive all-time high.
In addition, the days of the dipstick and human error in bunker fuel transfers are numbered. In a bid to improve the measurement of bunker deliveries, the MPA will allocate $1 million from its Maritime Innovation & Technology Fund for research into mass flow metering, the minister announced yesterday.
A mass flow meter is a system that measures the mass of bunker fuel directly - a more consistent and accurate approach than measuring its volume. If successfully implemented, the transfer of bunker fuel from supplier to buyer at bunkering ports stands to be less contentious across the industry.
The findings from industry trials on the mass flow meter that was conducted by a group made up of MPA, Spring Singapore and key industry players will be shared today during the conference.
A national standard on the application of mass flow metering will eventually be issued, based on these findings. Already, Maersk - which started installing mass flow meters on 50 of its vessels last year - is a fan.
'This is a project we are really excited about. We were looking for this kind of method to measure bunker directly in mass, rather than having to transfer volumetric measurements in the heat of the battle,' said Jesper Rosenkrans Ødum, Maersk Oil Trading's business development manager.
Complementing its efforts to increase efficiency, the MPA has developed an interactive multimedia guide for bunkering which was launched by Mr Lim yesterday. The guide will be a training and educational tool for officers involved in bunker delivery here.
Another guide was jointly launched by the Baltic and International Maritime Council (Bimco) and the International Bunker Industry Association yesterday, providing general information and guidance in the regulatory bunker industry.
On the sustainability front, liquefied natural gas (LNG) could soon be a candidate for short sea hauls. The MPA and DNV Technology Centre will soon jointly start a project to assess the commercial viability of LNG.
'Results from this study will help us evaluate the longer-term potential development of LNG bunkering services in Singapore,' said Mr Lim.
'From January to September this year, sales grew a further 12 per cent. (MPA) expects full-year volumes to reach about 40 million tonnes this year,' said Mr Lim. 'Our record bunker sales would not have been possible without a strong partnership between government and industry.'
Since January, the MPA has issued five new bunkering licences to bunker suppliers - Brightoil, Universal, Southern Petrochemical, Vermont-UM and Noble Resources.
Already the world's busiest bunkering port, Singapore saw its bunker sales hit a high of 36.4 million tonnes last year. Its bunker volume of 3.56 million tonnes in July this year was Singapore's fifth consecutive all-time high.
In addition, the days of the dipstick and human error in bunker fuel transfers are numbered. In a bid to improve the measurement of bunker deliveries, the MPA will allocate $1 million from its Maritime Innovation & Technology Fund for research into mass flow metering, the minister announced yesterday.
A mass flow meter is a system that measures the mass of bunker fuel directly - a more consistent and accurate approach than measuring its volume. If successfully implemented, the transfer of bunker fuel from supplier to buyer at bunkering ports stands to be less contentious across the industry.
The findings from industry trials on the mass flow meter that was conducted by a group made up of MPA, Spring Singapore and key industry players will be shared today during the conference.
A national standard on the application of mass flow metering will eventually be issued, based on these findings. Already, Maersk - which started installing mass flow meters on 50 of its vessels last year - is a fan.
'This is a project we are really excited about. We were looking for this kind of method to measure bunker directly in mass, rather than having to transfer volumetric measurements in the heat of the battle,' said Jesper Rosenkrans Ødum, Maersk Oil Trading's business development manager.
Complementing its efforts to increase efficiency, the MPA has developed an interactive multimedia guide for bunkering which was launched by Mr Lim yesterday. The guide will be a training and educational tool for officers involved in bunker delivery here.
Another guide was jointly launched by the Baltic and International Maritime Council (Bimco) and the International Bunker Industry Association yesterday, providing general information and guidance in the regulatory bunker industry.
On the sustainability front, liquefied natural gas (LNG) could soon be a candidate for short sea hauls. The MPA and DNV Technology Centre will soon jointly start a project to assess the commercial viability of LNG.
'Results from this study will help us evaluate the longer-term potential development of LNG bunkering services in Singapore,' said Mr Lim.