Hong Kong set to mandate MFMs for methanol bunkering

Hong Kong's government prepares to mandate mass flow meters (MFMs) for methanol bunkering by 2026.

IMAGE: A working crane bridge with Hong Kong's skyline in the background. Getty Images

MFMs are installed on bunker barges to deliver precise and transparent readings that help minimise errors and prevent disputes between buyers and suppliers.

“We will be introducing this mandate for mass flow metres for methanol bunkering by 2026,” said Mable Chan, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Transport and Logistics.

Momentum around methanol as a bunker fuel has been building in Hong Kong. In July, Towngas and Vopak China Management unveiled plans to develop a methanol bunkering network across the Asia-Pacific region. That same month, the Hong Kong Marine Department introduced an incentive scheme to encourage domestic bunkering of alternative fuels, including green methanol.

Growing adoption of MFMs globally

The use of MFMs continues to expand worldwide, driven by their ability to improve transparency and reduce disputes over delivered quantities.

From January 2026, all bunker vessels in Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges will be required to use mass flow meters for fuel oil, gasoil, and biofuel deliveries. Ceuta has already taken a similar step, mandating MFMs on all barge-based bunker operations since February this year.

Singapore has been ahead of the curve, having enforced their use for bunker deliveries since 2017.

By Tuhin Roy

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