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ENGINE: ​​Global Markets Fuel Availability Outlook (24 Dec 2025)

Prompt availability very tight across all grades in Singapore; bunker availability tight in Houston; VLSFO supply tight in Las Palmas.
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RESIZED ENGINE GLOBAL

The following article regarding bunker fuel availability outlook for several regions has been provided by online marine fuels procurement platform ENGINE for publication on Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times:

  • Prompt availability very tight across all grades in Singapore
  • Bunker availability tight in Houston
  • VLSFO supply tight in Las Palmas

East of Suez

Bunker fuel availability in Singapore is extremely tight this week. Very few suppliers are offering small HSFO parcels, with premiums applied for quantities of 500 mt and below. VLSFO availability is expected to improve after 28 December, while HSFO is likely to become more readily available after 4 January.

At Malaysia’s Port Klang, both VLSFO and LSMGO remain easy to secure, particularly for smaller prompt orders.

Bunker suppliers in Zhoushan are still recommending 3-6 days of lead time for all grades, little changed from 4-7 days last week. Availability is extremely tight across all grades in South Korea, a source said.

Across Taiwan’s Keelung and Hualien ports, VLSFO and LSMGO are generally available within two days, consistent with last week. Both grades can be delivered within three days in Taichung and Kaohsiung.

In Japan, prompt supply of VLSFO and HSFO remains tight at key ports including Tokyo, Chiba, Yokohama and Kawasaki.

Prompt bunker supply in Fujairah remains tight across all grades. Most bunker suppliers are not entertaining bigger stems due to “instability of the market” and shortage of cargo, another source said. However, urgent stems can be arranged at a premium, another source noted.

Meanwhile, in Egypt’s Port Suez, stocks of VLSFO, LSMGO and HSFO are nearly depleted.

In Iraq’s Basrah, VLSFO and LSMGO availability is good, while HSFO supply remains tight. LSMGO supply has improved in Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah, while VLSFO availability is still tight there.

Europe and Africa

Prompt bunker supply remains tight in the ARA bunkering hub, with buyers advised to book LSMGO, VLSFO and HSFO stems around 5-7 days in advance to secure offers from a wide range of suppliers, a trader told ENGINE.

Notably, from 1 January 2026, bunker supplies at Dutch ports will fall under the country’s regulatory framework implementing the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). This is expected to increase bunker costs, as suppliers pass on related compliance expenses.

RED III-related premiums will also apply to deliveries originally scheduled for December 2025 that are shifted into January 2026, a trader said. Additionally, the ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp will require all bunker deliveries to be made by certified mass flow meter (MFM)-equipped barges from 1 January 2026.

The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have increased 3% in December to date, according to Insights Global data. The region’s independent gasoil inventories – which include diesel and heating oil – have fallen by 9% so far this month, according to the Insights Global data.

Securing prompt bunker deliveries can be difficult in the Gibraltar Strait, and buyers are advised to enquire about stems around a week in advance to avoid higher premiums, a trader told ENGINE.

In Las Palmas and Tenerife, VLSFO supply is very tight, with recommended lead times of about two weeks, a trader said. For HSFO and LSMGO deliveries, buyers are advised to book at least a week ahead, the trader added.

LSMGO and ULSFO supplies remain readily available off Malta, while VLSFO and HSFO supplies have tightened since last week, a trader said. Availability remains stable in Turkey’s Istanbul, with 1-3 days of notice sufficient for all deliveries, a trader said.

In South Africa’s Durban and Richards Bay, VLSFO deliveries require only 2-4 days of notice, while HSFO may require around a week, a trader told ENGINE. 

Americas

Bunker demand in Houston remains steady, while supply of all grades has tightened this week. According to market sources, suppliers have been keeping inventories below typical levels to avoid year-end tax liabilities associated with carrying product into the new year.

As a result, suppliers are advising longer lead times this week, with HSFO and VLSFO deliveries requiring more than seven days. LSMGO can be delivered within 5-7 days.

The US Gulf is currently in its fog season. Dense fog has engulfed the region, leading to frequent port suspensions and causing delays in both bunker deliveries and schedules, a trader told ENGINE.

The Port of Houston has been facing intermittent closures due to dense fog and poor visibility along the US Gulf Coast. While it briefly reopened to inbound traffic on Tuesday, it was later forced to shut to all vessel movements again that day.

In New York, demand for HSFO and VLSFO is steady, with recommended lead times of 6–9 days. For LSMGO deliveries, most suppliers are recommending lead times of 2–3 days. A small craft advisory is currently in effect at New York Harbour, where high wind gusts reaching up to 30 knots are expected.

In Panama, bunker fuel demand has improved in the last quarter of the year. At the ports of Balboa and Cristobal, VLSFO and LSMGO can be delivered within 5–7 days, while LSMGO may require 4–6 days.

In Zona Comun, a period of potential disruptions is expected to continue until 29 December due to high wind gusts across the anchorage. This could result in brief delays to bunker deliveries, a source said. Both VLSFO and LSMGO can be delivered within 5-7 days.

By Aparupa Mazumder, Gautamee Hazarika and Nachiket Tekawade

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 3 December, 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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June 3, 2026

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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

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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.
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June 3, 2026

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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

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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.

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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

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