Bunker sales reached fresh highs in 2024 at one of the world’s largest bunkering ports, Singapore, official data showed on Wednesday.
Bunker sales in total registered a new high of 54.92 million tonnes, marking a 6.0% year-on-year increase, data from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) showed.
The increased uptake was partly due to the extended Asia-Europe shipping routes via the Cape of Good Hope given the disruptions in the Red Sea.
Singapore made steady progress, supplying over a sixth of the total fuel used by global shipping, MPA said.
Furthermore, sales of alternative bunker fuels exceeded one million tonnes for the first time to reach 1.34 million tonnes in 2024, a year-on-year doubling.
Specifically, the sale of biofuel blends grew from 0.52 million tonnes in 2023 to 0.88 million tonnes.
Meanwhile, Singapore is making digital bunkering services mandatory from April 2025.
From 1 April 2025, all bunker suppliers will need to provide digital bunkering services and issue electronic bunker delivery (e-BDN) notes by default.
“This will boost efficiency and transparency during the bunkering process in Singapore, and it is expected to help the industry save close to 40,000 man-days annually,” Dr Amy Khor, senior minister of state for the ministry of sustainability and the environment and the ministry of transport said at the 23rd Singapore International Bunkering Conference (SIBCON), organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).
Singapore is the first port to implement digital bunkering at scale for bunkering operations following approval by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to use eBDN at the 80th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee in 2023.
According to the MPA, “the digital bunkering process allows for efficient data sharing between bunker buyers and suppliers, which will help expedite administrative processes, improve accountability, ensure compliance with regulations, reduce the potential for errors, and support early detection of fraudulent activities.”
