Zhoushan Port achieves major breakthrough in digital fuel transfer

The bonded fuel oil bunkering barge, Dong Fang Zhao Yang. [Photo/wifizs.cn]

The bonded fuel oil bunkering barge, Dong Fang Zhao Yang, operated by Zhejiang Free Trade Zone Dongfang TongZhou Maritime Service Supply Co, completed an international certification for its mass flow meter system in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, according to Tide News on Oct 14.

According to Wago Singapore, who was responsible for the certification process, confirmed that all test data met the relevant standards set by the International Organization for Standardization. This achievement marks a crucial step in the digital fuel transfer for Zhoushan Port as a world-class bunkering port.

The Dong Fang Zhao Yang has been included on the list of ships approved to be fitted with mass flow meters based on the metrological technical requirements of Coriolis mass flow meter bunkering systems for marine fuel, which was released by the China Petroleum Circulation Association.

Mass flow meters are precision instruments used to directly measure the mass flow rate of fluids, and they represent the development direction of metrological systems of marine fuel. The certification process involved technical documentation review, on-site equipment inspection, and practical operation tests on the Dong Fang Zhao Yang.

Using mass flow meters for transfers reduces trade disputes, enhances operational efficiency, and improves turnaround and anchorage usage so that ships can refuel and depart promptly, according to Ding Jianbo, chairman of Zhejiang Free Trade Zone Dongfang TongZhou Maritime Service Supply Co.

Zhoushan High Tech Industrial Zone expressed that getting the certification provides a solid technical foundation for the electronic delivery and seamless regulation of bonded fuel oil bunkering in China.