Singapore’s Consort Bunkers has returned to China for more methanol bunker tankers. The company has signed a contract with COSCO Shipping Heavy Industries (Guangdong) for a series of four 7,999 dwt newbuilds.
According to shipbuilding sources, the quartet will be delivered in 2026, adding to six 6,500 dwt methanol bunkering units ordered at China Merchant Jinling Shipyard and delivering this and next year.
Consort has been one of the first to answer Singapore’s call to get the infrastructure in place for shipping’s future fuel mix where methanol will play a significant role.
In April this year, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) revealed it had received over 50 proposals to provide methanol bunkers with the potential to supply over 1m tonnes of the fuel by 2030.
Singapore carried out the first ship-to-containership methanol bunkering for Maersk last year, which was followed by ship-to-ship methanol bunkering of close to 1,340 metric tonnes of blended methanol for the Stena Prosperous and simultaneous methanol bunkering and cargo operation (SIMOPS) for X-Press Feeders in May this year.
The city-state is developing a licensing framework for methanol bunkering, expected to be completed before the end of the year.
