Singapore has completed its first methanol bunkering operation following the award of methanol bunkering licences by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), which took effect on 1 January 2026.

Golden Island delivered 300 metric tonnes of methanol to the Singapore-flagged Brave Pioneer on 20 January using the bunker vessel Golden Antares. The operation was carried out in collaboration with Mitsui & Co. Energy and its affiliates.

Golden Island is one of three companies awarded a methanol bunkering licence by MPA after completing an evaluation covering supply chain reliability, operational readiness and safety systems for methanol handling and delivery.

The Brave Pioneer, owned by Mitsui & Co. and chartered by Cargill, is a dual-fuel dry bulk carrier capable of operating on both conventional marine fuels and methanol.

According to the company, the bunkering operation was conducted in compliance with Technical Reference 129 (TR129), which sets out requirements for the handling, transfer and measurement of methanol as a marine fuel in Singapore, including ship-to-ship bunkering. Golden Island had also completed mass flow metering (MFM) testing on board its bunker tanker ahead of the operation.

The delivery marks the start of commercial methanol bunkering services in Singapore and supports the port’s development as a multi-fuel bunkering hub as vessel operators adopt alternative marine fuels.