Singapore will carry out its first ethanol bunkering operation later this week at PSA's Pasir Panjang Terminal, in what is expected to be the world's largest ethanol bunkering operation to date.
The trial involves A.P. Moller-Maersk, bunkering supplier Golden Island and PSA Singapore, with around 5,000 metric tonnes of ISCC-certified bioethanol set to be delivered. Senior Minister of State for Law and Transport Murali Pillai announced the operation during his speech at the 24th Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) on 14 October.
Bioethanol will be bunkered using a mass flow meter while the vessel carries out simultaneous cargo operations. The trial will also test whether Singapore's existing technical reference for methanol bunkering, TR 129, can be applied to ethanol, and will assess the use of mass flow meter systems to measure ethanol transfers.
Ethanol is increasingly viewed as a viable alternative marine fuel alongside methanol. Because the two alcohols share similar chemical properties, ethanol can be stored in the same tanks, blended in any ratio and used with the same bunkering infrastructure, requiring only minor modifications to existing methanol dual-fuel engines. Maersk and CMA CGM have already trialled ethanol aboard methanol dual-fuel container ships.
The findings will help establish the technical and regulatory requirements for future ethanol bunkering operations in Singapore, reinforcing the port's strategy of building capability across multiple fuel pathways. The certification-first approach mirrors the compliance-led model adopted by traders such as Alkagesta, which holds ISCC and CORSIA certifications for its biofuels trading desk.
