Singapore: Today’s Maritime CEO interview comes from Singapore on the day where our sister title, SeaShip News launches a brand new bunkering title, timed to coincide with next week’s big bunkering gathering, SIBCON.
Singapore’s National Metrology Centre and Mogas Flow Lab (MFL) signed a research collaboration agreement in April this year to provide scientific metrology expertise and consultancy for the establishment of a primary liquid flow standard, construction of a heavy hydrocarbon calibration rig (HHCR), and a R&D lab in flow measurements for bunkers. MFL is investing approximately S$20m for the building of the R&D lab, HHCR and associated facilities.
The lab will be the first of its kind to use actual bunker fuel as the flow medium. When completed, the facility will give the local maritime industry a head start in allowing locally-calibrated bunker mass flow meters (MFM) to have a direct traceability to the standard mass.
On the collaboration, Dr Thomas Liew, NMC’s executive director, says: “This assures business partners – owners and buyers – of quantity standards, promotes fair trade, and also enables local suppliers to attain industry standards and related accreditation/certification, enabling them to access the global market.”
NMC and Mogas are currently in discussion and assessing sites appropriate for the facility. Expected to occupy 5,000 sq m, the facility is targeted to commence construction in early 2015.
Other initiatives by NMC for the bunker industry include providing metrology expertise to verify the data of MPA’s acceptance tests as well as the establishment of a new liquid flow lab with the capability to measure the mass flow rates of water-based synthetic fluids, using the gravimetric method, down to a measurement uncertainty of 0.05%.
The NMC is run under the wing of Singapore’s state-run Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).
SeaShip News’s brand new bunkering magazine covers all the hot topics of a sector going through enormous changes. The 30-page magazine can be accessed here. [08/10/14]
