Singapore completes world-record 5,000-tonne bioethanol bunkering operation

Singapore has completed its first ethanol bunkering operation at PSA Singapore’s Pasir Panjang Terminal, marking the largest single ethanol bunkering delivery to date. Approximately 5,000 metric tonnes of ISCC-certified bioethanol were supplied to the Maersk container vessel Maersk Halifax by the chemical tanker Golden Centaurus, owned by Golden Island Pte Ltd.

The operation was conducted with support from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and was performed simultaneously with container cargo operations using a mass flow meter (MFM). This milestone provides critical data to determine how Singapore’s existing methanol bunkering technical standards, specifically TR 129, can be adapted for ethanol.

Participating parties conducted hazard identification and operability studies prior to the event to ensure safety. The MPA also focused on crew training for fuel handling and emergency response, leveraging previous experience with methanol bunkering to support the transition toward a multi-fuel maritime future and shipping decarbonization.