Asia/Pacific News
MPA Looking to Mandate Mass Flow Meters for MGO in Singapore
Due to increasing demand for marine gas oil (MGO), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is looking to mandate the use of mass-flow meters (MFMs) for MGO in addition to already announced plans for their use with marine fuel oil (MFO), ShippingWatch reports.
MGO demand has reportedly shot up in the wake of stricter Emission Control Area (ECA) regulations, which has limited sulfur content in marine fuel used in ECAs to 0.10 percent.
"We have been receiving feedback from bunker buyers requesting MPA to consider mandating the use of the MFM for Marine Gas Oil as well," said Parry Oei, the MPA's director of port services.
"We will be requiring all gas barges to have the mass flow meters installed on gas barges, once we complete the current exercise to install the meters on fuel oil barges."
Last year, the MPA announced that beginning in 2017, MFMs would be mandatory for MFO bunkering, while new bunker tankers applying for Harbour Craft licences from 2015 onwards would be required to be fitted with a MPA-approved MFM system.
It was not clear on when the MFMs for MGO would be introduced, but Oei said that the MPA was currently in talks with MFM suppliers to accommodate for MGO, as smaller MFMs would be needed for smaller gas barges.
"We're talking to sellers in order to find out if they can do it, and hopefully barges with marine gas oil in Singapore will also be equipped with mass flow meters," he said.
The city-state is currently the only port to have a mandatory MFM system.
Last year, Singapore Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew commented that instituting the system would help "safeguard Singapore's reputation as a top bunkering port in the world."
