Singapore does away with manual bunkering notes

MPA will implement electronic bunker delivery notes (e-BDN) from 1 November 2023, Mr Chee Hong Tat, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance, announced during the International Safety@Sea Conference.

Licensed bunker suppliers, ship owners, operators and crew will be encouraged to utilise the mobile and cloud solutions approved by MPA to complete and issue digital bunkering documents, which the operator said can save close to 40,000 man-days per year for the bunker industry. 

MPA said that it has approved these solutions to ensure that they meet cybersecurity, baseline functionality and risk management standards.

Going digital

Currently, the maritime industry relies on physical bunker delivery notes, a standard document required by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex VI, that contains information on fuel oil delivery.

These new digital solutions will automatically relay bunkering-related information required by MPA, thereby reducing compliance costs and improving productivity. The digital approach can also streamline workflow and enhance crew safety by eliminating the need for physical transfer of bunker documents between vessels. 

MPA said it has conducted 100 trials using e-BDN since January 2023, involving more than 20 companies in the Singapore bunkering ecosystem. Feedback from users will continue to be gathered to improve these solutions with plans to make digital bunkering a mandatory requirement by end 2024.

It said it will also continue to explore and work with the industry on other enhancements, including automating the data flow from Mass Flow Meters.

The industry-led Singapore Standards Council is currently developing a new specification for digital bunkering supply chain documentation and revising the existing SS648:2019 Code of Practice of Bunker Mass Flow Metering to support electronic bunkering documentation.

MPA is also working with Enterprise Singapore and Workforce Singapore to support maritime companies in the early adoption of digital bunkering and manpower upskilling.