Emissions-busting tankers

Vitol’s Singaporean bunker operations company, V-Bunkers, has placed an order to build two electric-hybrid bunker tankers featuring Energy Storage Systems (ESS) technology that will be used for harbour operations at the Port of Singapore.

This is the first time this emissions-reducing technology is being deployed in Singapore for bunker tankers, said Vitol.

Mike Muller, head of Vitol Asia, said: “We are proud and delighted to be the first to contribute to the reduction of emissions in the port of Singapore through deployment of these electric-hybrid bunker tankers. We support Singapore’s aspirations to be a leader in maritime decarbonisation and we look forward to using these new craft to even more efficiently deliver bunkers to customers here in the world’s biggest bunkering port.”

ESS technology

The bunker tankers are being built with Electric-Hybrid notation and will employ ESS technology comprising lithium-ion batteries for energy storage and a highly automated Power Management System (PMS) which will efficiently manage power consumption and thereby reduce GHG emissions.

Additionally, the ESS has the capability to charge its battery system from onshore power supply sources once such charging facilities become available in Singapore.

Delivery of the first of the two bunker tankers is expected in the second half of 2022.