Asia/Pacific News
DNV to Help Set Singapore's Methanol Bunkering Standards
Classification society DNV is set to assist with Singapore's project to set standards for the nascent methanol bunkering industry.
DNV has joined the methanol bunkering working group managed by the Standards Development Organisation at Singapore Chemical Industry Council, it said in an emailed statement.
The group is working on a technical reference (TR) for methanol bunkering in Singapore.
"The TR will cover custody transfer requirements (quantity and quality) for the delivery of methanol as a bunker fuel," DNV said in the statement.
"It will examine all aspects of bunkering, from the bunker tanker to the receiving vessels, examining the operational and safety requirements for methanol bunkering, as well as crew training and competency."
DNV data shows there were 35 orders for ships capable of running on methanol last year, and that a total of 26 such vessels are currently in operation.
"Interest in methanol is growing rapidly, gaining ground on the most widely adopted alternative option LNG," Lukasz Luwanski, regional business development director at DNV Maritime, said in the statement.
"Designs for methanol-fuelled vessels tend to be less complex, which means construction is typically less expensive than a comparable LNG fuelled vessel.
"On the other hand, due to incoming GHG regulations, a switch to 'green' methanol will be required much sooner than for a vessel that is LNG powered.
"This will make the Working Group's TR a very timely and important reference point for the industry."
