VPS, Metcore to partner on mass flow metre standards

Fuel quality testing specialists, multinational Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) and Singapore-based Metcore Interntational have announced a new strategic partnership around quantification in bunkering for shipping fuels. 
The companies said the partnership signifies a commitment to advance industry standards of accuracy and reliability and ensure the efficiency and integrity of bunker fuel supply operations.
The primary standards are the Singapore Standard SS 648: 2019 Code of Practice for Bunker Mass Flow Metering (recently revised and launched at SIBCON 2024) and the ISO 22192:2012 Bunkering of marine fuel using the Coriolis mass flow system.

VPS and Metcore said the partnership will explore opportunities to further digitalise the bunker supply chain through the use of Mass Flow Meters (MFM) and streamline what remains an exceedingly manual process while strengthening the transparency of bunker deliveries. 
VPS regional managing director Andrew Morton, said the company is excited to start this partnership calling Metcore “the best in class” for their understanding of Mass Flow Meters. 
“Through our partnership, we will integrate physical and digital surveying to provide a new service to our customers, the first of its kind to the maritime industry.” 

The companies did not go into detail about the partnership, however, as VPS pointed out, the change in industry practices to MFMs will require additional checks and balances as the bunker industry prepares for the transition.

The introduction of Mass Flow Meters into the market in 2017 has already changed how bunker fuel is supplied to vessels in many ports and regions. MFMs are in use in major bunkering ports including Hong Kong and the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp European port corridor, among other locations.

Use of MFM technology automatically monitors the mass flow, density and temperature throughout the bunker fuel delivery process, but the companies underlined that a mass flow metre is a physical device and cannot independently guarantee compliance with bunker quantity standards. VPS said that implementing and adhering to robust standards is crucial for accuracy and consistency in results.

Metcore’s Managing Director Darrick Pang, said “While MFM systems have gained global traction in bunker applications over the past decade, success hinges on more than just deploying the device. Taking the right approach in using the MFM system is crucial for ensuring compliance with safety standards, achieving operational efficiency and maintaining transparency and trust in measurement integrity.”

In the shipping industry, bunker quantity disputes between buyer and seller are not uncommon, and many testing agencies including VPS publish regular data about off-spec marine fuels in different ports and geographies. 
Two years ago, Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) reported that 200 vessels had taken on contaminated fuel (even though the fuel was compliant). In all, VPS pegged the total quantity of bunker fuel contaminated in Singapore to be worth almost US$120M.