GS Caltex and Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Collaborate to Legalize 'Quantitative Supply of Ship Fuel'

Rapid and Accurate Measurement of Refueling Fuel by Mass Unit
Singapore Mandates MFM Installation Since 2017
Eradicating Illegal Distribution of Duty-Free Marine Fuel... Contributing to Export Increase

GS Caltex is partnering with government ministries to legislate the standardized supply of ship fuel quantities.

GS Caltex announced on the 10th that it signed a business agreement on the 8th with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Korea Petroleum Management Service, Busan Port Authority, and Ulsan Port Authority to conduct a pilot project for standardized ship fuel supply.

GS Caltex will support the installation of a Mass Flow Meter (MFM), a fuel quantity measurement device, on one bunkering vessel to accurately measure the amount of fuel supplied. The Mass Flow Meter is a measurement system that connects a device between the bunkering pipes and measures the total flow by detecting the mass of liquid passing through a sensor-equipped tube inside the device.

This is expected to reduce disputes over supply quantities that occurred due to the lack of a unified measurement method or device when refueling ships. Until now, each ship used different methods to measure bunkering amounts, causing errors depending on temperature, humidity, density, and air injection levels even if the fuel volume was the same. When measuring the amount of fuel in the fuel tank, the ship’s tilt and the degree of rocking caused by waves also affected volume measurement.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Busan Port Authority, and Ulsan Port Authority will secure operational know-how for the Mass Flow Meter system through research commissioned to the Korea Petroleum Management Service and will work on establishing detailed regulations necessary for operating the standardized supply system.

At the pilot project agreement ceremony for the quantitative supply of ship fuel held on the 8th at the Nine Tree Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, (from left) Jang Hyuk-su, Head of Product Division at GS Caltex, Lee Kyung-heum, Executive Director of Korea Petroleum Management Service, Yoon Hyun-soo, Director at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Lee Sang-kwon, Vice President of Busan Port Authority, and Jeong Soon-yo, Vice President of Ulsan Port Authority, are posing for a commemorative photo.
[Photo by GS Caltex]

This business agreement is significant in that private companies and government agencies are joining forces to eradicate illegal distribution of duty-free ship fuel and accelerate the advancement of the domestic ship fuel supply industry. Singapore, an advanced port, has mandated the installation of Mass Flow Meters on bunkering vessels since 2017.

If the introduction of Mass Flow Meters becomes widespread in Korea in the future, it will help secure international reliability in fuel supply, similar to Singapore. Ship fuel supply volumes from Asia-Pacific regions such as China and Hong Kong could shift to Korea, aiming to increase national export volumes.

Jang Hyuk-su, Head of GS Caltex’s Product Division, said, "We have been able to lay the foundation for legislating standardized supply through public-private cooperation," adding, "We will strive to advance the ship bunkering market and increase exports."