Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said it has identified Glencore Singapore Pte as the supplier of contaminated fuel, which has caused technical problems in up to 80 ships.
The MPA said following its investigation into reports of contamination it had identified high concentrations of chlorinated organic compounds (COC) dichloroethane and tetrachloroethylene in blended high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) bunkered at its port.
Singapore is the world’s largest bunker supply port.
The MPA said it acted immediately to contact bunker suppliers and prevent further bunkering of contaminated fuels.
It said it had identified Glencore Singapore as the supplier of the contaminated fuel.
The MPA said Glencore’s own investigation revealed that one of the fuels sourced from overseas used in its HSFO blend had 1,5000 ppm of COCs.
Part of the affected fuel had also been sold by Glencore to PetroChina International, which also supplied ships in the Port of Singapore.
The MPA said it is the first case of fuel contamination caused by high concentration levels of COCs reported in Singapore in the last two decades.
“To date, Glencore and PetroChina had supplied the affected fuel to about 200 ships in the Port of Singapore. Of these, about 80 ships have reported various issues with their fuel pumps and engines. MPA has conducted fuel sample tests for some of the affected ships and found elevated levels of COC in their fuel samples,” the MPA said.
The scale of the problem appears to be larger than first estimated.
Quality checks
Fuel testing company VPS said it estimated around 60 ships had been affected by the supply of 140,170 tonnes of contaminated fuel, which it valued at $120m.
MPA said it is in discussions to introduce additional fuel quality checks and screen for contaminating chemicals. It is also ready to issue a report to the International Maritime Organization to inform member states of the potential problems with COCs.
Glencore has been contacted for comment.
