Organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the 17th Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) will be held from 16 to 19 October next week at Resorts World Sentosa. Singapore’s Minister for Transport, Mr Lui Tuck Yew, will officiate as Guest-of-Honour at the opening ceremony on 17 October. The biennial event, by far the world’s largest and most influential forum for the marine fuels industry, will see bunkering and shipping professionals converge at the world’s largest bunker market to conduct business and listen to thought leaders.
The bunkering industry in Singapore continues to grow year-on-year. Such growth provides exciting opportunities and challenges in equal measure. With the high bunker fuel prices, shipowners are looking closely for ways to improve fuel efficiency. The lowered global cap on sulphur limits and the introduction of new Emission Control Areas (ECAs) have also directly impacted shipowners and the international bunkering industry. As a result, alternative fuel options are studied with increasing interest. Furthermore, technology for operational efficiency continues to be explored and developed. In this regard, the 17th Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON) provides a platform for us to deliberate on these evolving issues, and above all, give direction on the future of the bunkering industry.
Mr Aaron Cobb, Global Director for ExxonMobil Marine Fuels, Mr Kwa Chong Seng, Chairman of NOL Group, and Mr Adam Ritchie, General Manager (Oil Market Analysis) for Shell Trading will be delivering keynote and industry addresses on market drivers and how the industry should respond to these challenges. In addition to the keynote and industry addresses, the conference will also see other prominent personalities comment on pressing issues affecting the marine fuels industry, including market projections, the use of Liquefied Natural Gas as bunker fuel, and compliance with international regulations.
As with previous editions, the SIBCON 2012 will offer numerous networking opportunities for participants, who comprise suppliers, traders, brokers, ship owners, ship managers, surveyors and port and terminal operators. The SIBCON Golf Challenge on 16 October and the SIBCON Party on 17 October allow delegates to mingle with friends and partners over a leisurely round of golf or drinks.
For the first time, experts from the SIBCON speaker panel, which includes Mr Eirik Andreassen, Mr Jan Christensen, Mr Arsenio A. Dominguez, Mr Jeff Lantz and Mr Jens Maul Jorgensen, will be hosting exclusive lunch tables for a limited number of participants. This privileged networking opportunity will allow participants to interact directly with experts and discuss pertinent issues relating to their areas of expertise.
In line with MPA’s commitment to the protection of the marine environment, SIBCON 2012 will once again feature a Joint Oil Spill Exercise. During the exercise, participants will get the rare opportunity to be out at sea to understand how an oil spill is managed. This practical approach offers a first-hand overview of the operational issues related to oil spills. On 19 October, SIBCON delegates can look forward to the full-deployment Joint Oil Spill Exercise (JOSE). Unique to SIBCON, JOSE allows participants to view the multi-agency response involved in tackling an oil spill in the Port of Singapore.
Source: SIBCON
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