SINGAPORE- Monthly sales of marine fuel, also known as bunker fuel, fell to four-month lows in Singapore in June, though bio-blended bunker sales for the first half of 2023 have surpassed 2022 volumes, official data showed on Friday.
Singapore’s bunker sales are a key indicator of sentiment at one of the world’s major ports and largest ship refueling hubs.
Bunker sales totaled 3.93 million metric tons in June, down 13.1 percent month-on-month, though 4.7 percent higher year-on-year, Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) data showed.
The monthly drop was driven by a decline in volumes for both low-sulfur fuel oil and high-sulfur marine fuel oil grades.
Vessel calls for bunkering totaled 3,369 calls in June, down 7.2 percent from May, MPA data showed.
Sales of bio-blended low-sulfur fuel oil totaled 189,500 metric tons for the first half of 2023, exceeding a total of 140,200 metric tons seen for the whole of 2022, based on the latest data.
The uptick reflected an increase in trials for biofuel bunker blends in Singapore as shippers and suppliers took steps towards the adoption of cleaner alternative fuels.
Meanwhile, bunker sales of liquefied natural gas totaled 36,900 metric tons in 2023 so far, firming from 16,200 metric tons seen in the whole of 2022, though lagging behind biofuel bunker volumes.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) has issued an expression of interest (EOI) calling for proposals to design and promote the use of fully electric harbor craft in Singapore.
The EOI document is a further step towards MPA’s rule that all new harbor craft operating in its waters to be fully electric or run on biofuels or net-zero fuels from 2030. The final aim is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Proposals have to be submitted before midnight on Sept. 15.
The EOI will first focus on smaller harbor craft that typically have gross tonnage of 20 to 40, overall length of 10 to 20 meters, and combined shaft power of 200 to 400 kilowatts.
There are about 400 harbor craft with these specifications deployed in Singapore. Overall, there are 1,600 harbor craft operating in the port.
