Bunker Fuel

JLC China Bunker Fuel Market Monthly Report (May 2025)

Country sold about 1.79 million mt of bonded bunker fuel in May, with daily sales at 57,761 mt, slipping by 1.69% from a month earlier due to a cut in domestic LSFO production, JLC’s data shows.

Published

12 months ago

June 12, 2025

Admin

JLC China Bunker Fuel Market Monthly Report (May 2025)

Beijing-based commodity market information provider JLC Network Technology Co. recently shared its JLC China Bunker monthly report for May 2025 with Manifold Times through an exclusive arrangement:

Bunker Fuel Demand

China’s daily bonded bunker fuel sales decrease in May

China’s daily bonded bunker fuel sales decreased last month, due to a cut in domestic low-sulfur fuel oil (LSFO) production.

The country sold about 1.79 million mt of bonded bunker fuel in May, with daily sales at 57,761 mt, slipping by 1.69% from a month earlier, JLC’s data shows.

Bonded bunker fuel sales by Chimbusco, Sinopec (Zhoushan), SinoBunker and China Changjiang Bunker (Sinopec) respectively settled at 480,000 mt, 580,000 mt, 50,000 mt and 28,000 mt in the month, while suppliers with regional bunkering licenses sold 652,600 mt.

Domestic refiners lowered their LSFO output amid more unit maintenance, leading to a decline in China’s daily bonded bunker fuel sales. However, the sales decline was capped to some degree by increasing demand for cargo transportation.

China’s LSFO output continues to fall in May

China’s LSFO output continued to fall in May, due to more refinery turnarounds and bad production margins.

Chinese refiners produced 955,000 mt of LSFO in the month, with the daily output at 30,806 mt, down by 11.39% month on month and 28.21% year on year, JLC’s data shows.

Independent refiners brought more units under maintenance, coupled with still bad production margins, weighing down China’s LSFO output.

Specifically, Sinopec’s LSFO production dropped moderately , as Shanghai Petrochemical and Zhenhai Refining and Chemical slashed their output. However, Qingdao Petrochemical boosted its output slightly, and Shengli Oilfield maintained high production. Tianjin Petrochemical and Hunan Petrochemical were still under maintenance, while Jiujiang Petrochemical came back online in mid-May and produced some LSFO.

PetroChina saw relatively stable production in May, as some refineries’ output cuts counteracted some others’ boosts. Jinxi Petrochemical has wrapped up maintenance and is expected to resume LSFO production in June.

CNOOC’s LSFO output fell in May, as Zhoushan Petrochemical, Zhongjie Petrochemical and Taizhou Petrochemical cut their production to various degrees.

ZPC and Sinochem did not produce any LSFO in May, but the latter exported 25,000 mt of MGO.

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Domestic-trade heavy bunker fuel demand shrinks in May

Domestic-trade heavy bunker fuel demand shrank in May, as most shipowners just purchased on rigid demand when bearish sentiment dominated the market.

Domestic-trade heavy bunker fuel demand settled at 360,000 mt in the month, descending by 20,000 mt or 5.26% month on month, JLC’s data indicates.

In the meantime, domestic-trade light bunker fuel demand came in at 150,000 mt, without change month on month, the data shows. Diesel demand from the shipping industry weakened amid the fishing moratorium, while that from the agricultural industry strengthened amid the summer harvest.

Bunker Fuel Supply

China’s bonded bunker fuel imports retreat in April

China’s bonded bunker fuel imports retreated in April, as Chinese bonded bunker suppliers reduced their purchases of high-sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) after relatively large cargo arrivals in March.

Chinese bunker suppliers imported 525,500 mt of bonded bunker fuel in April, a cut of 21.07% month on month, JLC’s calculation shows, with reference to the GACC data.

Meanwhile, Chinese bonded bunker suppliers continued to import LSFO to meet demand when domestic production slipped further amid more refinery maintenance and bad production margins, and they kept the imports largely stable.

Bonded marine gas oil (MGO) imports remained normal in April.

Malaysia exported 139,300 mt of bonded bunker fuel to China in April, becoming the largest supplier to China.

Cargoes from Malaysia accounted for 26.52% of China’s total imports in the month. Brazil ranked second with 108,600 mt, taking 20.66%, while the UAE came in third with 100,800 mt, accounting for 19.18%. Russia climbed to the fourth place with 99,800 mt, accounting for 19.00%, while South Korea slid to the fifth place with 77,000 mt, occupying 14.64%.

On a year-on-year comparison, however, China’s bonded bunker fuel imports surged by 54.1 1% in April, which could be ascribed to growing bunkering demand.

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Domestic-trade bunker fuel supply tightens in May

Domestic-trade bunker fuel supply tightened in May, as the availability of low-sulfur residual oil and shale oil decreased, also because of the suspension of the blending business in north and east China.

Blenders supplied about 370,000 mt of domestic-trade heavy bunker fuel in the month, down by 10,000 mt or 2.63% month on month, JLC’s data shows.

Blenders showed lower production interest amid insufficient blendstock supply . Refineries reduced their low-sulfur residual oil supply amid more maintenance, and their shale oil supply also tightened. In addition, the blending business in north and east China was still at a halt amid the negative impact of tax inspections.

At the same time, domestic-trade light bunker fuel supply settled at 160,000 mt, down by 10,000 mt or 5.88% month on month, the data shows. Refineries cut their diesel supply when more units came under maintenance.

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Bunker Prices, Profits

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Yvette Luo
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Sales (Beijing)
Tony Tang
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JLC Network Technology Co., Ltd is recognised as the leading information provider in China. We specialise in providing the transparent, high-value, authoritative market intelligence and professional analysis in commodity market. Our expertise covers oil, gas, coal, chemical, plastic, rubber, fertilizer and metal industry, etc.

JLC China Bunker Fuel Market Monthly Report is published by JLC Network Technology Co., Ltd every month on China bunker market, demand, supply, margin, freight index, forecast and so on. The report provides full-scale & concise insight into China bunker oil market.

Note: China-based commodity market information provider JLC Technology has been providing Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times China bunker volume data since 2020. Data from earlier periods are available here.

Photo credit: JLC Network Technology
Published: 12 June, 2025

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Biofuel

BHP and GCMD trial multi-feedstock B100 bio bunker fuel on bulk carrier

Bio-blend in the BHP and GCMD pilot is being used on a BHP-chartered bulk carrier “Berge Lyngor”, which was bunkered in Singapore in early May.

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BHP and GCMD trial multi-feedstock B100 bio bunker fuel on bulk carrier

BHP and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) on Wednesday (3 June) said they have blended biofuels from two distinct feedstocks—used cooking oil and waste animal fats —and introduced the lower-emissions marine fuel into a BHP-chartered bulk carrier as part of a pilot project.

The bio-blend in the BHP and GCMD pilot is being used on a BHP-chartered bulk carrier Berge Lyngor, owned and operated by Berge Bulk, transporting BHP iron ore from Western Australia to China. When run on bio-blend, the vessel has the potential to reduce well-to-wake greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 79 per cent per voyage compared to sailing on very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO).

The vessel bunkered in Singapore in early May with a B100 bio-blend comprising 50 percent tallow-derived biodiesel, sourced and supplied by HAMR Energy, and 50 per cent used cooking oil (UCOME) supplied by Mitsui & Co Energy Trading Singapore (METS).

Mitsui also blended the fuel and Dan-Bunkering coordinated and executed the bunkering operation, which was performed by Global Energy’s barge MT Maple.

The BHP and GCMD pilot will assess how biofuels from multiple feedstocks can be blended, handled, and introduced under real-world operating conditions using existing used cooking oil bunkering infrastructure.

At the same time, insights from this pilot will help identify solutions to challenges related to fuel quality, handling, traceability, and onboard vessel performance.

Biofuels for global shipping today rely heavily on used cooking oil – a feedstock whose availability is approaching its projected limits. Biofuel from waste animal fats presents a promising option to expand the supply of lower-emissions marine fuels.

The outcomes of the pilot are expected to shed light on the practical steps to integrate biofuel blends from different feedstocks into existing supply chains. The diversity of biofuels will provide shipowners and operators with greater flexibility to optimise fuel procurement based on cost, availability, and lifecycle emissions performance.

Biofuels derived from different feedstocks can exhibit varying properties that may impact operations, including potential corrosion from oxidation, fuel system clogging caused by wax formation, which this pilot aims to assess.

The pilot will trace and verify the biofuel blend’s integrity aimed at bolstering confidence in emissions reductions reporting. The pilot will also provide insights into how robust tracing can support future marine fuel supply chains where biofuels from multiple feedstocks with varying lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions footprints are blended together.

This project is co-funded by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore under the Maritime Innovation and Technology Fund (MINT).

Photo credit: Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation
Published: 3 June, 2026

Biofuel

NYK starts one-year B100 bio bunker fuel trial on car carrier

In this trial, NYK will operate a car carrier continuously on B100 for one year to evaluate the impact on engines, fuel supply systems, and operational practices.

Published

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NYK starts one-year B100 bio bunker fuel trial on car carrier

Japanese shipping firm NYK on Tuesday (2 June) said it has commenced a one-year long-term trial involving the continuous use of 100% biofuel (B100) on an NYK-operated car carrier.

In this trial, NYK will operate a car carrier continuously on B100 for one year to evaluate the impact on engines, fuel supply systems, and operational practices. High-purity biofuels such as B100 are known to be susceptible to degradation from oxygen, light, and heat, raising concerns about the stability of such fuels during long-term use.

In this trial, the biofuel primarily comprises FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) derived from used cooking oil and similar feedstocks.

The initiative is designed to evaluate the fuel’s effects on the vessel’s equipment and verify operational safety under real-world conditions.

Through this effort, NYK seeks to accumulate technical expertise that will support the broader use of high-purity biofuels and further accelerate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

NYK has been advancing the use of biofuels through various initiatives. In 2024, the company conducted a trial using biofuel blend B24 and subsequently expanded practical usage to B30. However, the company said there remains limited global experience with the long-term continuous use of B100.

“By collecting long-term operational data through this trial, NYK aims to accumulate valuable technical insights to support both the safe operation of vessels and the wider adoption of high-purity biofuels,” it said.

Photo credit: NYK
Published: 3 June, 2026

Ammonia

AM Green plans to build green ammonia plant at Indian port

Initiative also includes development of green ammonia handling, storage and bunkering infrastructure, pilot bunkering operations, safety procedures and training programmes, says VOC Port Authority.

Published

17 hours ago

June 3, 2026

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VO Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority on Friday (29 May) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s ammonia producer AM Green Ammonia to collaborate in the development of a green ammonia production plant.

The plant will have a capacity of one million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at Tuticorin.

The initiative also includes development of green ammonia handling, storage and bunkering infrastructure, pilot bunkering operations, safety procedures and training programmes.

The project is expected to support the development of green fuel corridors connecting VOC Port with major ports in Europe and Asia, thereby strengthening India’s position in the global green fuels value chain.

VOC Port also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bureau Veritas (India) Pvt. Ltd., to collaborate on Green Port certification, emissions accounting, ESG reporting, safety validation, development of green bunkering practices, and establishment of a Centre of Excellence for green fuels and sustainability.

The port also plans for an upcoming 750 m³ green methanol bunkering facility.

Photo credit: Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash
Published: 3 June, 2026