[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The implementation of mass flow meters to be used for marine gasoil deliveries in Singapore “could come as early as in 2017,” said Capt M Segar, assistant chief executive of operations of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
Speaking at the IBIA gala dinner in Singapore, Segar said in his opening remarks that the “MPA will work towards implementing MFM for marine gasoil deliveries. This could come as early as 2017.”
The possible implementation of the use of mass flow meters for MGO deliveries in 2017 would come shortly after the firm mandate that mass flow meters will be used to measure all marine fuel deliveries in the port from January 1, 2017, MPA announced previously.
To date, Singapore has 73 bunker tankers approved for mass flow meter delivery of marine fuel and “we are seeing close to 1 million mt of bunkers being delivered via MPA-approved mass flow meters every month,” Segar said.
Mass flow meters measure the flow rate in the pipe, gauging the quantity as well as the mass and density of the bunker fuel passing through.
The more traditional method which was widely used earlier was the sounding tape method, which relies on a quantity reading from the barge fuel tank of the receiving vessel taken prior to transfer.
Mass flow meters are said to improve operational tolerance and shaves around three hours off a bunkering operation that can typically take up to eight hours, said trade sources.
The quantity variance using meters is a maximum of 0.5%, and for the traditional method up to 0.7%.
Singapore is the top bunkering port in the world by volume, with 45.2 million mt in total bunker sales in 2015, an all-time record high, MPA data showed.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
