Asia/Pacific News
MPA Mulls Expanding Mass Flow Meter Mandate to Methanol Bunkering
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore is considering expanding its mass flow meter mandate to cover the bunkering of methanol.
Singapore has mandated MFM use for fuel oil deliveries since 2017, and is now looking into how the measurement systems can be used for methanol, a spokesman for the authority told Ship & Bunker on Thursday.
"MPA is working with the industry to expand the benefits of MFM, together with the use of digital bunkering, to methanol as the standard mode of measurement," the MPA representative said.
"The use of MFM with digital bunkering was trialled during the first methanol SIMOPS in Singapore in May 2024."
While MFMs are likely to be compatible with methanol deliveries as a liquid fuel delivered at ambient temperature and pressure, adapting them to other alternative fuels like LNG and ammonia may prove impossible.
"The use of MFM for other alternative fuels will have to be assessed further, including its suitability, purpose, and ability to measure the fuel accurately and consistently," the MPA representative said.
Singapore has noted 1,600 mt of methanol bunker sales so far this year, and several bunker suppliers are now lining up with plans to deliver the alternative fuel in the city-state's waters from as early as next year.
