Tue 2 May 2017, 11:06 GMT

Singapore performs Southeast Asia's first LNG bunker capability demonstration


Demonstration took place at Pavilion Energy's LNG bunkering launch ceremony.



Singapore performed Southeast Asia's first live LNG bunker capability demonstration on Tuesday, which took place during Pavilion Energy's LNG bunkering launch ceremony.

The demonstration was performed by Pavilion Gas, a wholly owned subsidiary of Pavilion Energy, which is one of two companies to be awarded an LNG bunker supplier licence by the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). The other LNG bunkering licence holder is the Keppel-Shell joint venture company FueLNG Ltd.

The live LNG operation came only four days after the launch of the first Singapore Technical Reference (TR) 56 for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Bunkering by the MPA, SPRING Singapore and the Standards Development Organisation @ Singapore Chemical Industry Council (SDO@SCIC).

The new standard is designed to provide a safe, efficient, sustainable and transparent technical framework for conducting LNG bunkering operations in Singapore, and thereby offer greater assurance to local and international LNG bunker buyers and suppliers.

Speaking at today's event, Koh Poh Koon, senior minister of state for Ministry of Trade and Industry and National Development, said: "As the world's largest bunkering port, Singapore remains committed to ensuring that the maritime industry has access to cleaner marine fuels. We plan to be LNG bunker-ready as early as 2020."

Seah Moon Ming, chief executive of Pavilion Energy, remarked: "The establishment of a robust LNG bunkering ecosystem will add to Singapore's offerings as an Asian LNG hub."

"Not only can Singapore serve as a physical and financial hub for LNG trading, but also for small-scale LNG and LNG bunkering activities. Vessels will be able to call at the Port of Singapore not only for trade purposes but also for LNG bunkering refuelling."

Last September, Pavilion Energy's CEO announced that the company was teaming up with ExxonMobil to carry out LNG bunkering at the port of Singapore. Then, in November, Pavilion Energy signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Harley Marine, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and Mitsui & Co. to jointly participate in the MPA's LNG bunkering pilot programme.

This was followed last month by Pavilion Gas signing an MOU on LNG bunkering cooperation in Singapore with Total Marine Fuels Global Solutions.

Pavilion Gas has also been appointed as an LNG importer by the Singapore Energy Market Authority (EMA).


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