The inaugural biofuel roundtable was held in Singapore today to drive discussions on the use of biofuels as a sustainable alternative fuel for the future of shipping. Organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), BHP and GoodFuels Marine (GoodFuels), the closed-door roundtable event brought together shipowners of different ship types to network, share insights into the use of biofuels to meet increasingly stringent environmental regulations as well as explore areas of collaboration.

The divers have recovered two bodies out of the five missing crew of JBB DE RONG 19, following the collision between Indonesian-registered tanker KARTIKA SEGARA and Dominican-registered dredger JBB DE RONG 19 that occurred in Singapore territorial waters at about 12.40am (Singapore time) on 13 September 2017. At the point of collision this morning, 12 crew members were onboard JBB DE RONG 19. Seven were sent to the Singapore General Hospital, out of whom five have since been discharged. Search and rescue (SAR) efforts for the three remaining crew members are ongoing.

Skuld Singapore  has reminded all members that Singapore has ratified the Wreck Removal Convention (WRC) which entered into force in Singapore on 8 September 2017. "As members will be aware, the WRC requires among other matters owners of ships over 300 GT to have in place insurance to cover the costs of wreck removal. Skuld, like all the clubs within the International Group, has appropriate wreck removal cover available to their members," said a statement from the international mutual marine insurance company.

Singapore welcomes Hong Kong pledge on handling of dispute. Singapore's defence minister on Monday said the nine armoured vehicles seized in Hong Kong could not be detained or confiscated, but that he welcomed Hong Kong's pledge for the dispute to be handled in line with its laws. Hong Kong customs seized the troop carriers in November as they were being shipped to Singapore from Taiwan after military exercises on the island that Beijing regards as a breakaway province, sparking tension between Singapore and China. Beijing, which regained sovereignty over the former British colony of Hong Kong in 1997, then warned countries against maintaining military ties with Taiwan. The vehicles were Singapore property, said Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, answering questions in parliament.

Both traders buy over 12 million barrels in September. Oil traders Winson Oil and Unipec have snapped up over 12 million barrels of gasoil in just under two weeks and are booking vessels in Singapore to either store the fuel or export it, shipping and trading sources said on Wednesday. Winson Oil, based in Hong Kong and registered in Singapore, bought the bulk of the cargoes at over 9 million barrels in oil price agency S&P Global Platts' market since the start of September, trading data showed. Unipec, the trading arm of Chinese state oil major Sinopec, purchased the rest, the data showed.

The 28,000-square-meter terminal, which was built at a cost of 500 million Singapore dollars (400 million U.S. dollars) and operated by the SATS-Creuers Cruise Services, will effectively double Singapore's berth capacity. The terminal has the capability to dock ships of up to 220,000 gross register tonnage (GRT) and measuring up to 360 meters in length with a hull draft of up to 11.5 meters. It also has a spacious arrival and departure hall comprising 80 check-in counters and up to 40 immigration counters…

According to a recent Reuters report, the Singapore government will take over development of its first $1 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal from a consortium to avoid more delays due to the credit crunch. The PowerGas-led consortium, in which GDF had a 30 percent stake, had been due to make its final investment decision this month for the project. The LNG’s completion was deferred by a year, from 2012 to 2013, making it the latest of several Singapore projects to be delayed due to the financial crisis.

The U.S. Navy dismissed two senior officers on Monday after a series of collisions involving Seventh Fleet warships in Asia, citing a loss of confidence in their ability to command. Rear Admiral Charles Williams, commander of Task Force 70, and Captain Jeffrey Bennett, commander of Destroyer Squadron 15, were fired by Seventh Fleet commander Vice Admiral Phil Sawyer, the Navy said. In August, Sawyer replaced fleet commander Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin, who was fired after the accidents. "Both reliefs were due to a loss of confidence in their ability to command," the Navy statement said.

Traders adding U.S. port options to cargoes for flexibility. Traders are scrambling to find oil products in Asia to ship to the United States and Latin America after Hurricane Harvey shut almost a quarter of U.S. refining capacity, several trading and shipping sources told Reuters on Wednesday. Many are also asking for ships to have a U.S. option added to their original destination to allow for flexibility in sending the cargoes across the Pacific, shipbrokers said. At least one oil products tanker…

To help promote liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering in Asia, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Ports and Harbors Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism of Japan (MLIT) will helm a working group to conduct a feasibility study on LNG bunkering for car carriers plying between Japan and Singapore. This working group will include Japan’s big three shippers – Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL).

To promote LNG bunkering in Asia, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Ports and Harbours Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism of Japan (MLIT) will helm a working group to conduct a feasibility study on LNG bunkering for car carriers plying between Japan and Singapore. This working group will include Japan’s big three shippers – Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line), Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL). The study…

Classification society ClassNK has expanded the scope of the world’s first comprehensive electronic certificate service for classification and statutory certificates to include the flag states of Panama, Singapore and the Marshall Islands from September 15, 2017. The service, ClassNK e-Certificate, currently available to Liberian-flagged vessels, will be available to ClassNK-registered vessels from a total of four flag states, accounting for approximately 60 percent of vessels on the ClassNK register. ClassNK e-Certificate is the result of an innovative project aimed at reducing the workload on board and at shore by minimizing potential clerical errors and time-loss associated with paper burden.

The latest report of a tanker hijack in Southeast Asia has prompted Dryad Maritime to issue an advisory to its shipping clients, on the basis that the crime follows a pattern, which has seen up to six such attacks, over the last nine months. The Company issued its advisory to maritime clients from its 24/7 Portsmouth, UK-based operations facility, explaining that the [Thai tankship] MT Orapin 4 laden with a fuel oil cargo, departed Singapore on 27th May 2014 and became the subject of a missing vessel alert the next day when attempts by her shipping company to contact her failed.

The first Singapore Technical Reference (TR) 56 for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Bunkering was launched by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), SPRING Singapore and the Standards Development Organisation @ Singapore Chemical Industry Council (SDO@SCIC). This standard has been developed to provide a safe, efficient, sustainable and transparent technical framework for conducting LNG bunkering operations in Singapore, thereby offering greater assurance to local and international LNG bunker buyers and suppliers.

Members of the G6 Alliance announced today that their groundbreaking cooperation in Asia-Europe container shipping will begin operation in the first week of March – one month ahead of schedule. “We are eager to roll out our competitive products to benefit customers by offering a comprehensive and increased coverage of 40 ports in the Asia-Europe market with more sailing frequency,” the members said in a statement. The G6 Alliance, serving the Asia-to-Europe-and-Mediterranean market was announced last December. The G6 Alliance members are the carriers in the Grand Alliance and New World Alliance: APL, Hapag-Lloyd AG, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui O.S.K Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line.

Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (ST Engineering) announced that its Corporate Venture Capital unit, ST Engineering Ventures Pte Ltd (ST Engineering Ventures) has made a Series B investment of $5.79m for a minority interest in Janus Technologies, Inc., an endpoint cyber security provider based in California. “This is the first investment by our Corporate Venture Capital unit in companies with cutting edge technologies or breakthrough innovations,” said Vincent Chong, President & CEO of ST Engineering. The Group has identified cyber security, along with robotics, autonomous technology, and data analytics as strategic capabilities that it will invest in to create long term value and growth.

Twenty more maritime companies came together to sign the Maritime Singapore Green Pledge to signify their commitment towards promoting clean and green shipping in Singapore. They join the 40 companies that have already signed the Green Pledge so far. The signing took place during the Singapore Registry of Ships Forum on "Responsible Shipping" and was witnessed by Lam Yi Young, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA). The 20 new signatories of the Green Pledge are listed in Annex A and include shipping lines, salvage companies and offshore service providers. A total of 60 organizations have signed the Green Pledge and pledged their commitment to promote clean and green shipping in Singapore.

Hong Kong is to release armoured vehicles belonging to Singapore impounded in the Chinese-ruled city on their way home from military exercises in Taiwan, Singapore said on Tuesday. Hong Kong customs seized the troop carriers in November. Beijing, which regained sovereignty over the former British colony of Hong Kong in 1997, then warned countries against maintaining military ties with Taiwan. Singapore's foreign affairs ministry said Hong Kong authorities would release the Singapore Armed Forces' troop carriers and other equipment to the Singapore government but the ministry did not give details. Hong Kong's commissioner of Customs and Excise, Roy Tang, said in a statement the vehicles were seized because of "a suspected breach of the Hong Kong law".

Facing less-than-expected market demand, members of the G6 Alliance announced additional void sailings within the container shippers’ Asia-Europe service, suspending its Loop 6 service until further notice. The G6 Alliance, which consists of APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai Merchant Marine, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Nippon Yusen Kaisha and Orient Overseas Container Line, said it continues to offer various services between Asia and Europe covering major port pairs with weekly sailings. The shippers said further service adjustments are possible as the G6 Alliance continues to review its product profile…

Maersk Line welcomes the Maritime Singapore Green Initiative and actively supports a joint industry approach to cleaner fuels in Singapore. Copenhagen, Singapore: April 13, 2011 - Today, Maersk Line announced its active participation in the Maritime Singapore Green Initiative by committing to switching to low-sulphur fuel in Singapore. The announced fuel switch backs up the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s engagement with the shipping line community to reduce carbon and sulphur emissions in Singapore.

Asian luxury cruise line Dream Cruises said it will homeport its inaugural vessel, Genting Dream, year-round in Singapore from December 3, 2017. Christened in November 2017, Genting Dream currently sails from Hong Kong or Guangzhou. With the move, the 151,300-metric-ton cruise ship will tap new markets, calling at more than 10 ports in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Significant growth in the Asian cruise industry over the recent years has presented new opportunities for the region, and Dream Cruises said it aims to be a pacesetter in Singapore.

Singapore’s position as Asia’s leading maritime services hub is likely to be enhanced in a post-Brexit environment, according to Singapore-based Ince Law Alliance, comprising Ince & Co Singapore LLP and Incisive Law LLC. The UK’s decision to leave the European Union has seen Sterling fall to $1.30 against the US dollar, with many commentators predicting a recession that could negatively impact the country’s maritime sector, which contributes £4.4 billion to the UK economy. Like Singapore, the UK’s economy is services–focused, with London the centre of UK and European maritime services.

Around 200 professionals from the shipping, logistics and liquefied natural gas development sectors converged on Singapore today to take part in the Sustainable Marine Transportation Conference organised by the Norwegian Embassy in Singapore and partners Innovation Norway and the Norwegian Business Association in Singapore. The global shipping industry’s carbon footprint has come under increasing scrutiny from governments, lobbyists and environmental protection agencies in recent times.