Singapore | January 27, 2026 – Vopak, a global bulk liquid storage and infrastructure leader, announces a strategic partnership with Global Energy Trading (GET), a leading bunker supplier, to establish a high-integrity green methanol supply corridor. This collaboration links Vopak’s Tianjin Terminal with vessels at Singapore’s key bunkering hub, demonstrating how alternative fuels can be delivered safely, reliably, and at scale in support of maritime decarbonization.
This partnership highlights the strategic role of integrated terminal infrastructure, operational expertise, and forward-looking collaboration in creating a supply chain capable of supporting the next generation of sustainable fuels.
The Logistics Architecture: A Two-Port Strategy
- Source (Tianjin) – ISCC EU-certified green methanol is loaded at Vopak Tianjin Lingang, one of China’s primary export gateways for renewable methanol derived from biomass and scrap tires.
- Destination (Singapore) – The fuel is received at Vopak Penjuru Terminal, Singapore, a proven hub for biofuel and early methanol operations.
- Delivery Arm – GET handles final ship-to-ship (STS) transfers using its IMO Type II chemical tanker, including the MT Kara, ensuring safe and efficient delivery to vessels.
Operational Excellence and Safety
Vopak brings decades of experience in safely storing and handling complex liquids, providing the certainty shipowners need to adopt new fuels at scale. Its global terminal network is optimized for speed, reliability, and compliance, ensuring green methanol moves efficiently from origin to port.
Global Energy Trading contributes operational agility through its fleet of 14 specialized barges (1,000–7,000 DWT), enabling flexible and safe delivery to vessels of varying sizes. Its operations include short-term storage, cross-harbour transfers, and risk management tools to mitigate price and supply volatility, essential for a growing alternative fuel market.
TR 129 and Methanol Licensing: Ensuring Safe and Scalable Operations
The corridor’s reliability rests on compliance with Singapore’s Technical Reference (TR) 129, developed by the Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), Enterprise Singapore, and industry stakeholders. TR129 sets rigorous requirements for ship-to-ship methanol bunkering, covering:
- Safety procedures and bunker tanker specifications
- Custody transfer protocols for quantity and quality
- Operational and safety protocols
- Personnel competency requirements
GET, a recipient of the MPA’s commercial methanol bunkering licence effective January 1, 2026, operates fully in line with TR 129, giving shipowners confidence to adopt methanol at scale. this was following the first trial transfer, 3,012 metric tonnes of methanol from the MT Kara to the container vessel Antonio Maersk, validated TR 129, demonstrating safety, measurement accuracy, and operational efficiency.
Combined with Vopak’s storage expertise, this ensures the Tianjin-to-Singapore corridor is more than a supply chain, it is a fully certified, safe, and scalable pathway for maritime decarbonization.st a supply chain, but a fully certified, safe, and scalable pathway for maritime decarbonization.
Paving the Way for Maritime Decarbonization
This collaboration is a statement of intent: by linking Tianjin’s production facilities with Singapore’s bunkering infrastructure, Vopak and GET are delivering a scalable, high-integrity supply chain for green methanol, a fuel recognized for its key role in reducing shipping emissions.
Green methanol supports compliance with FuelEU Maritime, IMO carbon intensity targets, and emerging regulatory frameworks, while offering substantial greenhouse gas reductions compared to conventional marine fuels. Reliable supply at scale removes a major adoption barrier, accelerating the maritime industry’s net-zero journey.
Strategic Partnerships Driving Impact
The success of this corridor stems not only from infrastructure but from collaboration. Vopak’s terminal expertise and GET’s operational flexibility create a model that is reliable, replicable, and ready to scale.
This partnership also reinforces Singapore’s position as a leading multi-fuel bunkering hub, capable of accommodating growing demand for green methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, and other emerging marine fuels. By providing end-to-end service from sourcing to bunkering, Vopak and GET enable the maritime industry to transition with confidence.
Setting a New Standard for Green Methanol Supply
With shipping facing increasing regulatory pressure and rising environmental expectations, the ability to integrate production, storage, and delivery of low-carbon fuels will define the next decade of the energy transition.
By combining Vopak’s storage expertise with Global Energy Trading’s fleet and bunkering agility, the Tianjin-to-Singapore green methanol corridor sets a new standard for reliable, high-integrity methanol supply in Southeast Asia. It is a concrete step toward net-zero shipping, demonstrating how collaboration and innovation can turn decarbonization ambition into measurable action.
Source: Vopak