TFG Marine welcomes new methanol bunker tanker for operations in Singapore

Pearl Lavender, the newbuild IMO type II chemical bunkering vessel capable of carrying methanol and set to operate in the Port of Singapore, has been delivered.

The 6,500 dwt ship is part of methanol carriage-ready bunker tanker series ordered by Singaporean shipowner Consort Bunkers at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard.

Pearl Lavender will be operated by Consort Bunkers for TFG Marine, a marine fuel joint venture founded by Trafigura, Frontline, and Golden Ocean, under the long-term charter agreement for four IMO type II chemical bunkering tanker newbuilds.

According to TFG Marine, this vessel, capable of carrying methanol, biofuels up to B100, and conventional fuels, will enter service at the Port of Singapore in April 2025.

The 103.8-meter-long newbuild will also be fitted with Mass Flow Meters, as required by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

“As the first of four barges in this order, this investment builds on our commitment to low-carbon fuel bunkering infrastructure, reinforcing our vision for a multi-fuel future. With methanol, biofuels, ammonia, and other alternative fuels playing an increasingly significant role alongside traditional marine fuels, we continue to support the industry’s transition towards cleaner energy solutions,” the company said.

In addition to agreement with Consort Bunkers, TFG Marine has a fixed-rate time charter contract with Italy’s Fratelli Cosulich Group for a methanol dual-fuel bunker barge to be delivered in late 2025 and deployed in the Port of Singapore. 

Seeking to enable methanol bunkering at scale and bolster its position as a sustainable, multi-fuel bunkering hub, Singapore recently launched a new standard for methanol bunkering.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), through the Singapore Standards Council (SSC), published a new Technical Reference (TR) 129 on Methanol Bunkering to provide “a comprehensive framework for the safe and efficient use of methanol as an alternative fuel for bunkering operations”.