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The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Monday released its latest update on licensed bunker tankers currently operating at the world's biggest bunkering hub.

In the update, the MPA reports that there were 213 licensed bunker tankers in Singapore as of Monday, January 15.

Of the 213 licensed bunker tankers, 131 are listed as solely supplying marine fuel oil (MFO), and 72 delivering only marine gas oil (MGO), whilst 9 tankers are equipped to supply both MFO and MGO, the MPA document says.

The only licensed bunker tanker with ultra-low-sulphur fuel oil (ULSFO) listed as its delivery product is the 2012-built, 3,609-deadweight-tonne (dwt) Wisdom.

E+H MFMs the most widely adopted

In an analysis of mass flow meters (MFMs) installed aboard delivery vessels, the report allocates an MFM brand next to 148 of the 213 bunker tankers listed.

The document shows that 91, or 61.5 percent, of the 148 vessels use MFMs produced by the Swiss manufacturer Endress+Hauser AG (E+H), whilst the remaining 57 tankers, or 38.5 percent, have Emerson-branded MFMs installed.

Sinanju tops flow rate list

As regards maximum calibration flow rates (Qmax) for tankers with MFMs in Singapore, the 2010-built, 5,700-dwt Marine Liberty is listed by the MPA as having the port's highest rate per hour at 1,208.294 tonnes. The vessel forms part of the fleet operated by Sinanju Tankers Pte Ltd.

Other Sinanju vessels that have been approved by the MPA for bunkering with MFMs include the Marine Honour (approved in May 2015), Marine Jewel (October 2016), Marine Kingsly (October 2016) Marine Noel (May 2014) and Marine Oracle (December 2015). The Marine Noel has the second-fastest maximum flow rate in Singapore at 1,186.973 tonnes per hour.

The flow rate statistics cap off a positive few months for Sinanju. As Bunker Index reported this week, Sinanju was one of the companies to rise the most up the MPA's 2017 ranking of bunker suppliers by volume sold - jumping 15 places to 28th, and beaten only by Hong Lam Marine (37 places), Ocean Bunkering Services (23 places) and Hin Leong Marine International (19 places).

Sinanju is also involved in the new concurrent bunkering service, launched in October, that enables tanker vessels berthing at Vopak Sebarok Terminal in Singapore to undergo bunkering operations at the same time as loading or discharging cargoes. The new simultaneous bunkering service is designed to speed up the time it takes vessels to take on bunkers, whilst also reducing congestion.