Singapore becomes world's first port to implement electronic fuel delivery orders
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will become the first port in the world to implement electronic fuel delivery orders when it launches its Digital Marine Fuel Supply Program next month.
Digitizing marine fuel supply will improve both efficiency and security. Electronic fuel delivery orders will reduce the incidence of errors and fraud, saving businesses time and money, as well as enhancing the security of cargo crews by allowing them to complete and exchange documents without having to shuttle between vessels.
Singapore's Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance, Chee Fong Tat, announced the plan on Oct. 23 in his speech at the International Maritime Security Symposium. He cited digital bunkering as an example of how innovation can, in some cases, simultaneously improve efficiency and safety.
Reducing Errors and Fraud Enhancing Safety for Freight Forwarders
Xu Fangda said, 'electronic bunker delivery notes (electronic bunker deliverynotes, or e-BDNs) will reduce the occurrence of errors and fraud, saving organizations time and money, and also enhance the security of cargo crews by allowing them to complete and exchange documents without having to shuttle between vessels. '
According to the MPA's announcement, the Digital Marine Fuel Supply Program will save the fuel supply industry nearly 40,000 man-days per year. More than 100 trials have been conducted since January on more than 20 companies within the local marine fuel supply ecosystem, the authority said.
To be made mandatory by the end of next year Authorities to subsidize training
'We will continue to gather feedback from users to improve these solutions and plan to make digitalized marine fuel supply a mandatory requirement by the end of 2024. In the meantime, MPA will continue to explore and work with the industry on other improvements, including automating the mass flow meter (MFM) data stream.'
The circular also said that the Singapore Standards Council (Singapore Standards Council) is working on a new digitalized marine fuel supply chain documentation specification and revising the existing fuel oil mass flow meter code of practice to support electronic marine fuel supply documentation.
Xu Fangda said that Singapore's maritime authorities will work with the Singapore Enterprise Development Board and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency to provide training subsidies and support staff to help interested enterprises to adopt the digital marine fuel supply program, and called on enterprises to take the initiative to join the plan.
First phase of 5G coverage completed, including waters of southernmost islands
In addition, Xu Fangda also revealed the progress of the Maritime 5G program. He said, 'Singapore's MPA, Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) recently completed the first phase of the Maritime 5G program, providing coverage in the waters around the southernmost local island.'
On the other hand, the maritime authorities and the Singapore Maritime Safety Council (SMSC) will develop a Community Volunteer Program (CVP) to establish and train a network of community volunteers to enhance maritime safety. This will complement the search and rescue efforts of government agencies in local waters, the authorities said. They will consult stakeholders and share more details next year.
Xu Fangda also shared data on safety incidents in our waters. 'Over the past five years, the total number of safety incidents per 100,000 vessel trips in Singapore waters has dropped by more than half, from 17.8 in 2018 to 8.7 last year. While this is good progress, we must continue to improve our systems and processes to prepare for incidents that occur in our local waters.'