Experts from the bunker purchasing and digital platform solutions segments presented their views during the Future of Digitalisation in the Bunker Industry panel discussion session at the StormGeo APAC Shipping Forum 2025 in Singapore on Thursday (25 September).
The session was moderated by Jack Oh, Solutions Manager, StormGeo, who asked the group on how digitalisation promotes efficiency, trust and transparency between bunker suppliers, traders, and shipowners in bunkering operations.
Lim Wei Ling, Head of Global Operations, Swire Bulk
“Manual marine fuel procurement has been made more efficient by digital map-based bunker price indications, records of past done deals, historical prices, and vessel voyage planner integration; but visibility of local fuel availability still remains as a critical gap,” highlights Wei Ling.
She noted that regulations will be a key factor influencing the adoption of digital bunkering solutions and cited the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)’s mandate to implement electronic bunker delivery note (e-BDN) operations from 1 April 2025 for local suppliers as the main push in accelerating the republic’s path towards digital bunkering.
“But organisational buy-in by shipowners for digital solutions still hinges on demonstrable cost savings, profitability, and sustainability value,” stated Wei Ling.
“Future bunker management in five to ten years should deliver transparent, real-time COQ (Certificate of Quality) data integrated from bunker suppliers and labs distributed to buyers and technical managers for analysis and decision making, allowing for transparent financial adjustments and discrepancy resolution.”
Aloysius Ng, Bunker Purchaser, StarDream Cruises
Ng, meanwhile, shared StormGeo’s Bunker Management procurement platform simplifies enquiries and trading within a set windows timeframe (e.g. two-hour trading sessions), while consolidating supplier responses and reducing email dependence.
“Before I started using the StormGeo platform, I needed to prepare and send a lot of individual enquiries beforehand while monitoring the market. If the market drops suddenly, I am unable to send out the enquiries as I will have to setup the whole process again,” he explained.
“But for the platform, there’s always a draft inside where you only make minor adjustments such as date before sending the bunker enquiry form out. In the form, I can choose the supplier or trader preferred and all movement including replies are logged into a central system which records all activities during trading hours.
“This has significantly reduced interaction with the company’s internal auditors, who are also able to track my bunker purchasing activities on their end.”
Ang See Lin, Vice President Technical Sales, Ofiniti
Ang noted supplier-side digitisation has progressed with MPA’s mandate of e-BDN bunkering operations in Singapore; the next phase now focuses on buyer/operator-side integrations to streamline data entry and downstream workflows.
“Trust-building starts with real-time data sharing on bunkering progress and changes, plus ensuring documents are verifiable and tamper-proof with controls preventing unauthorised amendments,” he said.
Ang noted digitised documents and workflows can save about 30% of time through auto-filling, automated checks, reduced errors, remote signing, and faster handovers, while improving safety. He highlighted a platform-centric approach such as Ofiniti’s FuelBoss is focused on digital recording and data quality to meet regulatory requirements.
“Identity verification is required for signers to ensure accountability. Data is kept confidential and encrypted within the platform and only used as evidence in disputes, when necessary,” added Ang.
“Information from buyers (e.g. bunker intake) and lab integrations are recorded, then analysed to assess compliance.
“Moving forward, companies should reframe digitisation costs as long-term investments to build capabilities, enable integration, and future opportunities; being a front-runner in the digital bunkering sphere confers advantages.”
Julie Nielsen, Global Head of Bunker Sales, StormGeo
“Digitalisation within the next five to ten years is going to move very fast. Already, within the last couple of years we went from basically zero to now where everybody is talking about digitalisation within the shipping sector,” stated Nielsen.
“Digitalisation is the colleague you didn’t know you needed. With all the complexity in the market about regulations and decarbonisation and reporting to verifiers, maritime firms need to be digitalised.”
She shared StormGeo’s Bunker Management platform can indicate marine fuel product presence per port (e.g. VLSFO, HSFO, MGO) but still lacked real-time availability due to supplier transparency and other factors.
“One of the words which has been used in all presentations today is ‘transparency’. Transparency is needed now more than ever, and it’s needed in the future more than it’s going to be needed now. This includes data reliability and real-time data to take the decisions that comes with digitalisation,” summarised Nielsen.
“This is why our solution has a partnership with Ofiniti to ping clients with a notification once the bunker supply has finished with all documents now in place.
“A key takeaway is don’t see digitalisation as an enemy, see it as a partner, walk hand in hand with it because it will help you and it will give you a better bunker purchasing position. The earlier you adapt, the better position you have in the market against competitors.”
Photo credit: StormGeo
Published: 3 October 2025