The Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) saw some 1,600 delegates from over 50 countries attend the event's opening ceremony. Organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), SIBCON is in its 18th instalment.Singapore's Minister for Transport, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, presided over the opening ceremony today, held at the Resorts World Sentosa. In conjunction with SIBCON, Minister Lui also officiated the global launch of the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF), a new non-governmental organisation established to promote safety and industry best practices in the use of gas as a marine fuel.

This year's SIBCON theme, "Driving Transformation in the Marine Fuel Industry", aptly describes the current industry trends and developments. Addressing an international audience during the opening ceremony, Minister Lui said that the bunkering industry has to grapple with a rather challenging environment. In the face of these challenges, we must look towards the adoption of new technologies and new modes of operation, and seek to transform the bunkering industry such that we can ensure continued growth in a sustainable manner.

MPA introduced several new initiatives at SIBCON as part of Singapore's continued efforts to enhance our bunkering processes and prepare the bunkering industry to meet the demands of the future.

1. Improving Fuel Quality and Quantity:
a) Productivity and Innovation Credit scheme benefits for mass flow meter
Singapore will implement the mandatory adoption of mass flow meters for bunkering Marine Fuel Oil (MFO) in the Port of Singapore from 1 January 2017. To help the industry in the transition, bunker suppliers and bunker craft operators are eligible for benefits under the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) scheme, administered by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS), for their expenditures incurred in adopting the mass flow meter with effect from the Year of Assessment (YA) 2015. This is on top of the S$80,000 lump sum incentive by MPA upon MPA's approval of each fitted mass flow meter system for eligible bunker tankers.

Please refer to IRAS' website for more information:
http://www.iras.gov.sg/irashome/uploadedFiles/Businesses/For_companies/Productivity_and_Innovation_Credit/For%20SPs%20and%20Ps.pdf

b) Appointment of A*STAR's National Metrology Centre as data verifier for the mass flow meter acceptance test
As part of the mandatory adoption of mass flow meter implementation plan, the National Metrology Centre (NMC) has been appointed by MPA as the data verifier to carry out the acceptance test. The test data will be analysed by NMC to determine the measurement uncertainty for compliance to the requirement of the SS600.

c) Enhancements to SS 600 and SS 524
The latest editions of the Singapore Standards SS600:2014 Code of Practice for Bunkering and the SS524:2014 Quality Management for Bunker Supply Chain have been launched today by SPRING Singapore. MPA worked closely with SPRING in the review of these standards to enhance Singapore's position as the world's top bunkering port.

The revised SS600 includes better safeguards to provide greater transparency in the bunkering transaction, thereby strengthening customers' confidence in Singapore's bunkering industry. The revised SS524 incorporates the latest developments in international quality management systems and practices. Companies adopting the standard will be on par with international benchmarks.

d) Licensing of bunker surveying companies
To further enhance the quality of bunker surveying in our port, MPA will require all bunker surveying companies to be licensed with effect from 1 January 2017. Currently, bunker surveying companies are accredited and not licensed. This move will seek to raise the standards for bunker surveying companies and allow MPA to have greater oversight of bunker surveying companies and their bunker surveyors.

e) Increase productivity in Singapore's bunkering industry
MPA is working on the concept of electronic Bunker Delivery Notes (e-BDNs) which will allow instantaneous transfer of bunkering data to both buyers and sellers. Leveraging on the data transmission capability of the mass flow meter and 4G connectivity within the Port of Singapore, the e-BDN concept will change the way the bunker industry currently operates. Where paper-based bunker delivery notes are currently used as documents for invoicing and payments, the e-BDN will increase the productivity of all stakeholders involved in the supply chain and minimise the possibility of human error.

MPA is also exploring the use of technology to automate bunkering processes to reduce manpower needs on bunker tankers, such as the use of automated mooring systems as well as automation of processes onboard bunker tankers to help reduce the manpower requirements on our bunker tankers.

2. Ensuring Fuel Availability:
f) Availability of ECA-compliant fuel in the Port of Singapore

The sulphur limit in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) will be reduced from 1% to 0.1% with effect from 1 January 2015. To ensure that bunker buyers are able to lift fuel that comply with the requirements imposed in the ECAs, MPA has been working with the industry to make ECA-compliant fuel available here. The Port of Singapore will be ready to supply ECA-compliant fuel by 2015 when the new sulphur limits come into play.

3. Preparing for LNG Bunkering:
g) Pilot programme on LNG bunkering

To establish safety and operation protocols for LNG bunkering, MPA will be commencing work on a pilot programme by early 2017 with interested parties of the Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) bunker supply chain. MPA will provide funding of up to $2 million per vessel for up to 6 LNG-fuelled vessels for the pilot programme.

There are several established modes of LNG delivery such as the use of iso-tank containers, ship-to-ship transfer and terminal-to-ship transfer. For the purpose of this pilot programme, MPA is evaluating the most cost-effective mode of LNG delivery to test and establish operational standards and procedures. This will ensure that Singapore is ready for LNG bunkering in the future.

Mr Andrew Tan, Chief Executive, MPA said, "The bunkering industry is an important and integral part of our global hub port. As a top bunkering port, we will continue to raise our bunkering standards to ensure fuel quality and reliability. MPA continues to work closely with all our stakeholders to address the key issues and prepare the bunkering industry for the future."

The biennial event is by far the world's largest and most influential forum for the marine fuels industry. Since its inception in 1988, SIBCON has grown from strength to strength to become a premier forum for the global bunkering industry, bringing together key personalities representing the interests of shipowners, oil majors, independent bunker suppliers and traders from all over the world.
Source: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)