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Taiwan's Yang Ming Group is reported to have arranged to debunker one of its containerships after the vessel was found to have received off-spec fuel in Singapore.

According to market sources, the 68280 deadweight tonne (dwt) YM Fountain received 1,500 metric tonnes of 500-centistoke (cst) fuel from a bunker supplier in Singapore with local firm Millenium Oil acting as trader. However, when the fuel was tested, samples taken from the ship were found to have more than 212 mg/kg of aluminium and silicon.

The latest ISO 8217:2010 standard for marine fuels specifies that the maximum limit for aluminium plus silicon for 500-cst is 60 mg/kg.

In order for vessels to be debunkered in Singapore, ship operators are required to obtain the permision of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. According to the MPA's website the Port Master would consider granting permission to the owners of a vessel to offload bunker fuel provided that the intended de-bunkering operation is due to any of the following reasons:

* The vessel needs to enter a local shipyard for repairs, docking, etc.
* The vessel received the wrong grade(s) of bunker fuel from her last call to Singapore port.
* Other reason(s) subject to the approval by the Port Master.

In order to follow MPA debunkering procedures, ship operators are required to submit a completed application form for a de-bunkering operation at least three working days before the intended date of the operation to the MPA's Marine Services Department.

Yang Ming is understood to have used L.A. Singapore Bunker Surveyors Pte. Ltd. to carry out the fuel testing. The company is one of 55 accredited bunker surveyors in Singapore.

Since January 1st 2010, all bunker surveyors in the city state are required to be employed by bunker surveying companies that are accredited under the Accreditation Scheme for Inspection Bodies administered by the Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC).