Secure systems, trusted data and reliable digital services are becoming as important to maritime operations as physical infrastructure, said Mr David Foo, Deputy Chief Executive (Operations & Technology), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), on Thursday (10 September). 

In his opening keynote speech at APPEC 2026 Shipping And Bunker Conference, Foo said OCEANS-X, Digital Bunkering and the Maritime Digital Twin are enabling trusted data sharing, better operational planning and the testing of new digital solutions.

Foo said since 2025, digital bunkering has strengthened the efficiency and transparency of bunker operations. 

“We are now working with industry on the next phase, trialling capabilities to further strengthen the integrity and quality of bunker data shared between stakeholders and MPA.” he said.

He also said MPA is taking a forward-looking approach to the energy transition.

“Over the coming decades, we are likely to see the most diverse marine fuel mix in shipping’s history. There may not be a single fuel of the future.”

“Our role as a global bunkering hub is therefore not to determine which fuel will prevail. Our role is to ensure that whichever fuels the industry adopts, Singapore is ready – with the infrastructure, standards and operational capabilities to support them.”

Foo said MPA is making concrete progress across the major alternative fuel pathways with the issuance of methanol bunkering licences and the commencement of methanol bunkering operations. 

“For ammonia, we are developing the regulatory and operational frameworks needed to support future commercial deployment. We are also facilitating greater use of sustainable biofuels,” he said.

At the same time, MPA continues to expand its LNG bunkering ecosystem, with additional licences issued this year. 

“This will broaden supply options as more LNG-fuelled vessels enter the global fleet. We have also just updated our LNG standards, while maintaining the high standards of safety and reliability that underpin Singapore’s reputation as a trusted bunkering hub,” Foo added.

Related: MPA Chief Executive: Port of Singapore begins digital bunkering initiative today
Related: Singapore: Golden Island, GET, and PetroChina to receive methanol bunkering licences
Related: Singapore: Equatorial Marine Fuel among eight selected for new LNG bunkering licences
Related: Singapore strengthens LNG bunkering framework with new SS 727 standard

Photo credit: Swapnil Bapat on Unsplash
Published: 10 September, 2026

Jesper Sørensen, Global Head of Alternative Fuels and Carbon Markets of KPI OceanConnect, on Wednesday (8 September) wrote that while the 30 September deadline to surrender EUAs is approaching, managing exposure to EU ETS is about more than how and when allowances are purchased.

He said fuel choice and alternative fuels strategy should also form part of companies’ broader carbon-management approach: 

EUAs: EU ETS surrender deadline highlights rising maritime carbon costs, as higher compliance obligations and EUA exposure increase the strategic importance of biofuels, fuel procurement and integrated carbon management ahead of full shipping inclusion in the EU ETS from 2026.

As the 30 September EU ETS surrender deadline approaches, the immediate message for shipowners, operators and charterers is straightforward: make sure your verified emissions position is understood, your exposure is calculated, and your allowance needs are settled in good time.

But this year’s deadline should also be seen as something more than an annual compliance event. It is a reminder that carbon costs are becoming an increasingly important part of vessel operating economics, and that the most effective response is not only to buy EUAs but also to think more strategically about how fuel choices influence overall compliance exposure.

This matters because the cost of the same level of emissions is rising even before we consider market volatility in EUA prices. The reason is the phase-in of the maritime EU ETS. For 2024 emissions, shipping companies were required to surrender allowances for 40% of in-scope CO₂ emissions. For 2025 emissions, that rises to 70%. From 2026 emissions onwards, the obligation moves to 100%.

In other words, even if the EUA price were to remain unchanged, the compliance bill for the same emissions profile becomes materially larger. That is an important shift. It means carbon exposure is no longer something to address only at the end of the reporting cycle. It increasingly needs to be considered when making fuel procurement and voyage-planning decisions.

The EUA market itself reinforces that point. Price volatility remains a feature of the market, and that makes planned procurement more important than ever. The objective is not to predict the perfect entry point. It is to understand the exposure, settle the near-term obligation in a timely manner, and develop a strategy to reduce future risk. But managing EUA exposure is increasingly about more than how and when allowances are purchased.

Over recent months, the economics of biofuels, particularly B100, have become increasingly compelling in several trading scenarios. When assessed only on a headline fuel price basis, the picture can appear mixed. But when viewed through the lens of total compliance cost, the economics can look materially different.

Qualifying sustainable biofuels can help reduce EU ETS exposure by reducing the number of allowances that need to be surrendered, while also improving compliance under FuelEU Maritime. In other words, a well-structured biofuel strategy can support compliance across both regulatory regimes simultaneously.

It does not follow that biofuel is automatically the most efficient solution for every vessel, voyage or trading pattern. In many cases, purchasing EUAs will remain the right answer. In others, alternative fuels can reduce exposure across multiple regulatory frameworks and materially change the overall economics.

That is why the September surrender deadline should be viewed as both a compliance event and a useful point to look forward.

With 100% EU ETS exposure for 2026 emissions, an alternative fuels strategy can no longer be treated separately from carbon management. Fuel procurement, EUA procurement, and FuelEU compliance increasingly need to be considered together before the bunker decision is made, rather than after emissions have already occurred.

Photo credit: KPI OceanConnect
Published: 10 September, 2026

Clean energy equipment and services provider CIMC Enric on Monday (7 September) said China’s first green methanol bunkering operation for a bulk carrier was completed at Guangzhou anchorage.

The company said the bunkering operation also marked the first bio-methanol STS bunkering operation at Guangzhou Port.

A total of 1,021 metric tonnes (mt) of bio-methanol was supplied ship-to-ship (STS) to the world’s first methanol dual-fuel Ultramax bulk carrier.

The operation was completed on 6 September by China Shipping & Sinopec Suppliers Co Ltd’s Da Qing 268, which carried bio-methanol produced at CIMC Enric’s green methanol facility in Zhanjiang.

The successful operation in Guangzhou, following previous green methanol bunkering operations in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, means that Guangdong-produced bio-based methanol has established a supply network across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The company said the development connects the production, storage, transportation and bunkering segments of the green methanol supply chain, moving the region beyond individual pilot projects towards coordinated operations across the Greater Bay Area.

CIMC Enric described its Zhanjiang green methanol facility as China’s first commercial-scale bio-methanol production plant.

Since beginning production, the Zhanjiang facility has maintained a stable production and delivery schedule, supplying bio-based methanol to major ports across China, with delivery volumes continuing to increase, according to the company.

The first phase of the facility has an annual production capacity of 50,000 metric tonnes (mt), while its methanol products have a carbon emission reduction rate of more than 85%, CIMC Enric said.

The products have also obtained ISCC EU sustainability certification, with the company saying their specifications meet international requirements for shipping decarbonisation and can support the low-carbon operation of vessels.

Photo credit: CIMC Enric
Published: 9 September, 2026