Singapore Conducts World's Largest Ethanol Bunkering Operation with Maersk
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The Port of Singapore completed the largest ethanol bunkering operation carried out to date anywhere in the world, supplying the container vessel Maersk Halifax with approximately 5000 metric tonnes of ISCC-certified bioethanol. The operation took place at PSA Singapore's Pasir Panjang Terminal, with the support of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the participation of Maersk and Golden Island Pte Ltd.
Operation Details
The fuel was transferred from Golden Island's chemical tanker M.T. Golden Centaurus, registered in Singapore under the IMO Type II category, while the Maersk Halifax continued its container loading operations simultaneously (SIMOPS). A mass flow meter (MFM) was used to measure the bunkered volume, and the operation also marked the first ethanol bunkering carried out in Singapore.
Lessons for Regulation
According to the Port of Singapore, the operation will provide data to assess how Singapore's existing technical reference for methanol bunkering, known as TR 129, could be adapted for ethanol bunkering, given that both fuels have similar handling characteristics. MPA's Chief Executive, Ang Wee Keong, noted that the operation tests whether Singapore's methanol experience and infrastructure can support another emerging marine fuel, in view of a future with multiple fuel options.
Statements from the Parties
Emma Mazhari, Head of Energy Markets at Maersk, stated that the company continues to pursue a multi-fuel strategy because no single pathway is sufficient to decarbonize global shipping. Johnny Tan, Managing Director of Golden Island, highlighted having delivered Singapore's first ethanol bunkering alongside live cargo operations, drawing on the safety discipline previously developed in methanol bunkering. For his part, Nelson Quek, Regional CEO for Southeast Asia at PSA International, noted that the operation provides valuable insight into how to integrate ethanol bunkering with container terminal operations.
Background on Maersk and Golden Island
Golden Island is one of three companies licensed by MPA to supply methanol as a marine fuel at the Port of Singapore, with the license in effect from January 1, 2026 for five years. Maersk, for its part, has been exploring ethanol as a marine fuel since its first trial in October 2025, and prior to the Singapore operation had completed the first commercial ship-to-ship ethanol bunkering of an ocean-going container vessel in the United States.
