Bunkering hub in Singapore conducts first bio-methanol refueling for Maersk ship
(Reuters) - A container ship has refueled with bio-methanol at the world's largest bunkering hub in Singapore, the first such operation to have taken place at the city-state, its port authority said on Thursday.
The vessel, owned by Denmark-based A.P. Moeller-Maersk, was filled with about 300 metric tons of bio-methanol supplied from Hong Lam Marine Ltd's tanker, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said in a statement.
The bio-methanol had been stored at Vopak terminals prior to the bunkering operation, MPA said.
The move marks a step towards the city-state's ambitions to meet net-zero shipping emission targets by 2050 by increasing supply of cleaner bunker fuels to ships.
Maersk took delivery of the new container ship at South Korea's Hyundai Mipo Dockyard on July 10. It was filled with 1,000 tons of bio-methanol before it commenced its maiden voyage from South Korea's Ulsan port.
The methanol in South Korea was supplied by Dutch producer OCI Global.
Maersk is expected to receive another 24 vessels which can run on methanol. Renewable methanol is typically produced from biomass, such as forestry and agricultural waste.
Interest in methanol bunkering has grown as the shipping industry works towards carbon emission targets, with major shipowners and ports stepping up methanol bunkering-related projects globally.
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