Mass Flow Metering – A New Standard

Mass Flow Metering – A New Standard

The Singapore Standards Council has published the world’s first Technical Reference for Bunker Mass Flow Metering (TR48:2015).  Its aim is to support an initiative by Singapore Maritime Port Authority and the local shipping industry to use the mass flow metering (MFM) system for marine fuel oil deliveries at Singapore with effect from 1 January 2017.

The technical reference is a provisional standard which will apply for a period of two years.  The aim is to use the experience gained to update TR48 so that it can be adopted as a Singapore standard.

Concerns over Quantity

Singapore is the world’s largest bunkering port with record volume sales of 45.16 million tonnes in 2015 alone.  Singapore first adopted standardized bunkering procedures in the early 1990’s, however concerns surrounding the accuracy of bunkers supplied to vessels have continued over the years.

Mass Flow Metering – A Fair System

TR 48 sets out clear requirements for bunker measurement and system integrity.  It adopts a mass flow metering system that is aimed at providing a fair basis for measuring the quantity of bunkers supplied in Singapore. 

It is intended that the mass flow metering system will bring benefits such as transparency, reliability, efficiency and security.  By using the new system it is estimated that a vessel calling at Singapore for bunkering may save up to an estimated three hours and US$5,000 per call.

The Singapore Maritime Port Authority has produced a fact sheet on TR48 and this can be accessed by clicking here.

Frequently asked questions on mass flow metering (MFM) for bunkering can be found by clicking here.

A description of how mass flow metering works can be found in our publication Signals 97 (2014) and this can be accessed by clicking here.