Seatrade Maritime: Singapore awards three methanol bunkering licenses

Global Energy Trading, Golden Island, and PetroChina International, have been successful in a call for applications for methanol bunkering licenses by the Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). The licenses are valid for five years from 1 January 2026. 

MPA said the three suppliers were selected from 13 applicants and were chosen through a “comprehensive evaluation process that assessed supply chain reliability, operational readiness, safety systems, and the sustainability certification of the methanol to be supplied”. An initial Expression of Interest (EOI) for methanol bunkering in Singapore received over 50 proposals.

The five-year period of the licences is designed to support early development of methanol bunkering and would give licensees sufficient scope to build capabilities and supply chains.

“MPA will continue to review the licensing framework, incorporating operational experience, technological developments, and evolving international standards so that the framework remains demand-responsive, practical, robust, and aligned with global standards and developments,” MPA said.

Singapore launched a standard for methanol bunkering in March this year – the Technical Reference (TR) 129 on Methanol Bunkering. The TR129 standard covers custody transfer requirements, operational and safety requirements, and guidance on use of mass flow meters (MFM). 

Singapore carried out its first ship-to-ship methanol bunkering July 2023 while the first trial of simultaneous methanol bunkering and cargo operations was carried out in May 2024 at Tuas Port with the use of the MFM system for methanol and digital bunkering.

In 2024 over 1 million tonnes of alternative fuels were sold in the port of Singapore out of total volume 54.92 million tonnes of fuels delivered.