Asia/Pacific News
New Singapore Bunker Industry Association Established
A new bunker industry association focused on the Singapore market has been established.
Known as the Association of Bunker Industry (Singapore) (ABIS), the new group says it will be largely focused on working with small and medium-sized bunker companies in order to enhance business service quality.
ABIS says it already has 29 members from 24 different companies within the bunker industry, and intends to work with national bodies to improve industry standards, as well as to develop and deliver training programs for its members.
"The bunker group does not consist of bunker surveyors only ... Bunker-related stakeholders came together to start this (group) as we have never had a bunker association registered in Singapore before this," Kwok Fook Sing, ABIS honorary secretary, was quoted by Platts as saying.
"We expect more to sign up once the Association is formally approved by the (Registry of Societies)."
Training courses for mass flow meter (MFM) bunkering, which is slated to become mandatory in Singapore in January 2017, is said to be among the new organisation's priorities.
As a result, ABIS says it has formed a focus group to review members' existing bunker surveying processes to ensure they align with TR48:2015, Singapore's MFM guidelines.
"They will be better prepared and ready to fulfill their essential roles when TR48 becomes mandatory on January 1, next year," said Kwok of ABIS' members.
The focus group is said to comprise of bunker surveyors, bunker suppliers, ship owners, bunker buyers, oil traders, and experts across various fields, including fuel testing, as well as legal counsel, and MFM vendors.
ABIS notes that the focus group will also consult Singapore's national agencies, including the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and trade and business agency, SPRING.
Training for liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering is also said to be among ABIS' priority activities.
In March, MPA announced that it would offer a new series of courses on MFM bunker operations.
