Alternative Fuels

SIBCON 2022: Stakeholders discuss the future of Singapore’s bunkering landscape at session finale

MPA, Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services, and BP share their thoughts with Singapore Shipping Association in the final session of SIBCON 2022.

Published

4 years ago

October 14, 2022

Admin

Several stakeholders in Singapore’s bunkering industry provided insights on Singapore’s marine fuels landscape in the near future during a deep dive finale session at the 22nd edition of Singapore International Bunkering Conference, also known as SIBCON 2022, on Thursday (6 October).

Caroline Yang, Chief Executive of Hong Lam Marine and President of Singapore Shipping Association, who was moderating the session What’s Next in Singapore’s Marine Fuels Landscape, asked panellists their prediction on the main fuel types that will fuel ships and the types of carbon abatement measures they will see in 2030.

She also asked the panel about their thoughts if Singapore will remain the top bunkering port in a multi-fuel environment, what they foresee would be the expected fuel mix of 2030, expected investments that Singapore needs to have to maintain its top position, uptake rate of biofuel at the republic, and more.

Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation

Dr. Sanjay Kuttan, Chief Technology Officer, Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, who was one of the panellists, said there would be no major shifts in the fuel mix in 2030 if Singapore continues to remain as one of the largest transhipment ports in the world and the current rate of alternative fuels production remains unchanged.

“What you will begin to see is the emergence of LNG as a maritime fuel because there are 700 new LNG ships on order today. But that’s still a drop in the ocean of the 80,000 vessels that are on water,” he said.

“We will also the increased use of drop-in biofuels, specifically Gen 2 and possibly even Gen 3 biofuels will emerge by 2030. Even though you will see more biofuels entering the market, VLSFO still will be the dominant base fuel in 2030.”

He shared with the audience the Neste refinery in Singapore produces a significant amount of hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO), a good biofuel that can be mixed with marine gas oil (MGO), which presents an unique opportunity for Singapore to supply a 2nd generation biofuel at scale.

“Singapore could establish vertical algae farms for the production of 3rd Generation biofuels. So, I think if we push our imagination harder and if we want to become a biofuel hub for the shipping industry, we have the elements to actually realise that but only if it becomes a part of our national strategy.”

Dr Kuttan also pointed out that carbon abatement measures like ship board carbon capture systems can be powerful tools – but only if the industry is able to introduce a responsible solution to dispose the captured CO2 effectively.

“Ultimately, no matter how much CO2 you capture, you need to fix it and not release it into the air, so there’s still a few more building blocks to be established,” he notes.

“But I think we need to recognise that we need to use every solution in our “bag-of-tricks” to try and “bend-the-curve” as soon as possible because the technology is available, however, we must ensure that the overall lifecycle analysis of any solution needs to have a positive impact on Mother Nature.”

Anthony Tolani, General Manager – Australia and New Zealand, Trading and Shipping – bp Marine, agreed with Dr Kuttan’s sentiments on biofuels and added stakeholders are enthusiastic in joining in decarbonisation efforts – though not necessarily led by regulations at this point of time.

“What we’ve seen is a voluntary adoption of biofuel, particularly where there are no incentives available and I think that will continue to build,” he said.

He added regulators can also play a role as there are still some restrictions at the moment constraining the “free adoption of biofuels”.

“So what we’re seeing is an industry pushing for regulations to keep pace. Starting January 2030, we may see the emergence of methanol; however, predominantly it will be a larger uptake of biofuels, and LNG as well as VLSFO,” he said.

He also said it would be possible for biofuel bunker sales in Singapore to reach five million tonnes before 2030.

Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore

Capt. Daknash Ganasen, Senior Director of Operations & Marine Services, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, echoed other panellists of SIBCON 2022 in suggesting there will be no clear winner at the moment in the anticipated fuel mix in the near term, but there are opportunities for every type of alternative bunker fuel.Capt Daknash said that shipping companies could also be looking into new renewable technology on board ships such as wind energy and solar energy to supplement or complement emission reduction in tandem.

He also gave his take if Singapore will remain the top bunkering port in a multi-fuel environment when it comes to marine fuel volume.

“We do, of course, definitely aspire to be the top bunkering port in the world as we move into a transition from fossil fuel to the next alternative fuel and renewable energy,” he said.

He noted MPA has partnered with various initiatives including being a member of the Castor Initiative and SABRE consortium, in itself is a testament that we aspire to be amongst the top bunkering ports in the world moving ahead as well,” he said

Capt Daknash also shared other initiative such as co-founding the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation to look into the various aspects of the challenges that the industry face moving towards 2030 and 2050, and initiatives with like-minded ports under the Future Fuel Port Network, which was formed with the Port of Rotterdam Authority and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan where parties collaborate, share information, and work on best practices together.

Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services

Choong Sheen Mao, Director, Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services (Equatorial), said there needs to be more strategic collaboration, not just within Singapore but also internationally.

“Equatorial sees Singapore as still being the leading bunkering hub in the world, especially with the focus on a multi-fuel future. Furthermore, the republic is not just a hub for bunkering, but a hub for many other aspects, such as financing, trading and digitalisation,” stated Mr Choong.

“The future is going to be much more complicated, requiring the Port to tackle difficult issues such as operational safety during ammonia bunkering.

“Nonetheless, good foundations have already been built over the years; for example the mandatory use of mass flow metering system paves the way to accurately measure the quantity of bunkers delivered, which may allow other things, such as accurate tracking of potential carbon emissions from the delivered products.

“Singapore has a strong and diverse ecosystem for us to adapt, collaborate and deal with future challenges. There has never been a more exciting time for the bunkering industry.”

He emphasised the company’s commitment to biofuels, adding: “Equatorial has already obtained our ISCC certification. There will be a gradual scaling up process in the adoption of alternate fuels, especially due to high prices.”

“Biofuel, because it is a drop-in fuel, it will be much more straightforward. Regulations will nonetheless have to kick in to incentivise shipowners to use such fuels. Short to medium term subsidies will help with the uptake of biofuel but, at the end of the day, the economics of consuming biofuel have to be sustainable in the long run.”

Mr Choong, meanwhile, noted decarbonisation developments within the shipping industry taking a rapid pace.

“Even within the past 18 months, the vocabulary of discussing about decarbonisation has matured rapidly. It is now quite established that the world will adopt the well-to-wake method in assessing carbon emissions. The industry has become much more refined and accurate in our references,” he explained.

“Before we discussed about the potential of ammonia [as an alternate marine fuel]. Now we speak about consuming green or blue ammonia. The transition to alternate fuels will be very interesting.

“How do we ensure that the price of transitional fuel or green fuel is competitive with conventional fuel? Could one solution be carbon taxes with a floating price mechanism against conventional fuels, with the involvement of price publishing agencies? This may assist us in the transition.

“Nevertheless, going green is going to be a very expensive exercise. Therefore, we need to be very selective in making sure we take the right steps. We cannot afford to take too many wrong steps. It will be too costly, especially to a single organisation.”

Manifold Times is an official media partner of SIBCON 2022; a series of articles related to the event written by the Singapore bunkering publication are as follows:

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 14 October, 2022

LNG Bunkering

Shell expands LNG bunkering footprint in Spain with Valencia

As one of the region’s key maritime hubs, the company said Valencia expands the options available to shipowners seeking LNG supply along major shipping routes.

Published

2 days ago

August 14, 2026

Admin

Shell expands LNG bunkering footprint in Spain with Valencia

British oil giant Shell on Thursday (13 August) said Valencia has joined its growing network of bunkering locations, making LNG available as a marine fuel.

The successful completion of the first LNG bunkering operation in Valencia marked an important milestone for Spain and further strengthened Shell’s LNG supply capabilities across the Mediterranean.

In a video shared by the company, bunkering vessel Alice Consulich was shown supplying an undisclosed volume of LNG to the container ship MSC Sabrina.

“As one of the region’s key maritime hubs, Valencia expands the options available to shipowners seeking LNG supply along major shipping routes,” Shell said in a social media post.

Shell said the achievement reflected the strong collaboration across the maritime value chain, including MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the Port of Valencia and Fratelli Cosulich Group.

“We look forward to making more LNG bunker deliveries in Valencia and across the Mediterranean as LNG infrastructure and capabilities continue to expand,” the company said.

Photo credit: Shell
Published: 14 August, 2026

LNG Bunkering

Énestas and Power LNG join forces on Galveston bunkering

Énestas will provide capital, LNG transport and storage equipment, and downstream expertise to support Power LNG’s planned liquefaction and marine bunkering facility on Pelican Island.

Published

2 days ago

August 14, 2026

Admin

Stabilis Solutions enter 10-year LNG bunkering supply deal for Port of Galveston

Power LNG (Power LNG) and Mexico’s LNG infrastructure and downstream natural gas company Énestas on Wednesday (12 August) announced the execution of definitive agreements establishing a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of LNG infrastructure at the Port of Galveston.

Under the agreement, Énestas will provide capital, LNG transportation and storage equipment, and downstream operating expertise to support the development of the Harborside Terminal and Project Seawolf, Power LNG’s planned LNG liquefaction and marine bunkering facility on Pelican Island.

The partnership creates an immediate pathway to begin LNG distribution by truck while Project Seawolf is under development, supporting marine fueling, virtual pipeline customers, industrial users, and LNG exports throughout the Gulf Coast, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

“Our vision has always been to establish Galveston as the premier LNG hub for the Gulf Coast,” said Austin Terry, Founder and CEO of Power LNG.

“Énestas brings years of operational experience, proven LNG infrastructure, and a talented team that understands how to deliver LNG safely and efficiently. Together, we can immediately begin serving customers while laying the foundation for one of the most strategic LNG bunkering facilities in North America.”

Project Seawolf will provide LNG for marine bunkering, truck loading, virtual pipeline distribution, and international exports. The facility is strategically located at the Port of Galveston, serving one of the fastest-growing cruise, cargo, and energy corridors in the United States.

For Énestas, the transaction represented an important milestone in the company’s international growth strategy.

“This partnership represents a natural evolution for Énestas as we expand our downstream LNG business into the United States,” said Caio Zapata, Chief Executive Officer of Énestas.

“For more than a decade, Énestas has developed and operated LNG infrastructure throughout Mexico, helping customers transition to cleaner, more reliable energy. Partnering with Power LNG allows us to leverage that experience in one of the most attractive LNG markets in North America. We see tremendous opportunities in marine bunkering, virtual pipeline logistics, industrial LNG supply, and exports to Latin America and the Caribbean, and we are excited to build that future together.”

The companies expect the partnership to support near-term LNG truck loading operations while advancing the long-term development of Project Seawolf, which is designed to become a regional hub for LNG production, marine fueling, and distribution.

The collaboration also establishes a platform to pursue additional downstream LNG opportunities throughout the Gulf Coast, utilising Énestas’ operational expertise together with Power LNG’s project development capabilities.

Photo credit: Port of Galveston
Published: 14 August, 2026

LNG Bunkering

Stabilis delivers more than 150,000 cbm of LNG bunker fuel at Galveston

Company says the advancement of its proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is a natural progression of its established LNG bunkering footprint in Galveston.

Published

2 days ago

August 14, 2026

Admin

Stabilis delivers more than 150,000 cbm of LNG bunker fuel at Galveston

Clean energy production solutions provider Stabilis Solutions (Stabilis) on Thursday (13 August) said it has completed 97 LNG bunkering operations and delivered more than 150,000 m³ of LNG to customers in the Port of Galveston.

“As the only physical supplier of LNG on the Gulf Coast to reach this milestone, we’ve earned a reputation as a trusted, proven operator — both with local Galveston stakeholders and with the world’s largest cruise operator,” the company said in a social media post.

“That trust is reflected in the 10-year LNG offtake agreement we executed in December 2025.”

The company said the advancement of its proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is a natural progression of its established LNG bunkering footprint in Galveston.

“As a Houston-based company, we believe in the Texas economy and the future growth of the Port of Galveston,” it added.

“That belief is why we’ve invested heavily over the past four years in the planning, permitting, and engineering design work to develop the most advanced, derisked, shovel-ready small-scale LNG liquefaction project on the Gulf Coast.”

Manifold Times previously reported Stabilis stating that the proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility is anticipated to be in production by the third quarter of 2028.

It will come complete with the delivery of the first new-build, dedicated Jones Act-compliant LNG bunker barge in the Galveston/Houston area.

This comes following Stabilis receiving a Letter of Recommendation from the US Coast Guard following their formal review of the proposed Stabilis Galveston LNG Facility and associated waterfront LNG loading, marine transportation, and LNG bunkering operations in the Port of Galveston.

Photo credit: Stabilis Solutions
Published: 14 August, 2026