Singapore prepares for methanol bunkering

Singapore, the world’s top bunkering hub, is getting the infrastructure in place for shipping’s future fuel mix where methanol will play a significant role.

Local firm Consort Bunkers has just contracted China Merchants Jinling Shipyard to build six 6,500 dwt methanol bunkering tankers while compatriot Global Energy Group is set to receive its first 4,000 dwt methanol bunkering vessel from Japan’s Sasaki Shipbuilding in the final quarter of this year. Another bunker supplier, Golden Island Diesel Oil Trading, is readying to order a methanol tanker up to 12,000 dwt in size for delivery in 2026.

Six companies, including Danish carrier Maersk, have formed a partnership that is building Asia’s first green e-methanol plant which converts captured biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) into green e-methanol. The plant is being set up in Singapore with a minimum production capacity of 50,000 tons per annum.

While containerlines have led the way towards methanol propulsion, dry bulk and tanker orders are also now in the mix. Another important shipping sector, the cruise business, is also keen to embrace methanol. Costa, TUI Cruises, Disney, and Norwegian have declared their interest in moving toward methanol as a fuel for their cruise ships.

MAN Energy Solutions, one of the key engine suppliers for this type of propulsion, said last month that the interest in methanol as a fuel has surged and represents more than 30% of all its current, open pipeline projects across a broad range of vessel segments.