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ENGINE: Americas Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook

Prompt supply remains tight in Houston area; LSMGO supply tight off Trinidad; high winds could disrupt bunkering in Zona Comun.

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The following article regarding bunker fuel availability in the Americas region has been provided by online marine fuel procurement platform ENGINE for post on Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times:

2 February, 2023

  • Prompt supply remains tight in Houston area
  • LSMGO supply tight off Trinidad
  • High winds could disrupt bunkering in Zona Comun

 

North America

All grades remain tight for prompt delivery dates in the Houston area and bunker locations off the Gulf Coast. A lead time of 5-8 days is generally recommended to ensure full coverage from all suppliers in the Houston area.

On 28 January, Valero’s 255,000 b/d nameplate capacity Houston refinery started a 35-day turnaround period for four processing units, according to market intelligence provider Industrial Info Resources (IIR). The refinery produces bunker fuels, ultra-low sulphur diesel, gasoline and other products.

A supplier in Beaumont is working on resupply and blending this week. Once that is done, prompt VLSFO and LSMGO should be available with short lead times of 0-3 days.

Rough weather has again disrupted bunkering in the Galveston Offshore Lightering Area (GOLA). Bunker deliveries can change on a case-by-case basis, a source says.

Some suppliers are offering VLSFO for prompt dates at the New Orleans Outer Anchorage (NOLA). However, LSMGO availability is tight, and prices can fluctuate greatly between suppliers at the location, a source says.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is said to be normal in the East Coast port of New York, a trader says.

All grades remain tight for prompt delivery dates in the West Coast ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. One supplier can deliver HSFO and LSMGO stems in Long Beach and Los Angeles after 16 February. Delivery prospects in Port Angeles, further north on the US West Coast, remain subject to enquiry, a source says.

VLSFO availability is normal in San Francisco. One supplier requires 5-7 days of lead time.

Bunker fuel availability remains normal in Mexico’s Manzanillo. Recommended lead times are about five days for HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO.

Mexican state-owned energy firm Pemex continues to operate its Lazaro Cardenas refinery, located in Minatitlan, Mexico at reduced capacity (estimated at 65% capacity) due to financial constraints, IIR said. Sources say that lower production from the 285,000 b/d nameplate capacity refinery is unlikely to have any impact on bunker supply in Mexican ports.

 

Caribbean and Latin America

Securing VLSFO and LSMGO stems of very prompt dates (0-3 days) can be hard in Panama’s Balboa and Cristobal. Some suppliers can offer deliveries for very prompt dates, but these offers are typically fewer and are generally quoted on a subject to enquiry basis, a source says.

A lead time of six days is generally recommended to ensure coverage from all suppliers in Balboa and Cristobal. HSFO supply remains tight in both Balboa and Cristobal. Recommended lead times are typically longer for HSFO than for low sulphur grades.

LSMGO supply remains tight off Trinidad. One supplier has held back LSMGO offers amid low stocks and expects to receive replenishment cargoes by 15 February, sources say. Meanwhile, the supplier can still supply VLSFO stems.

Bunker fuel availability is normal in Colombia’s Cartagena and Santa Marta. Recommended lead times for VLSFO and LSMGO are about three days. Demand has been low so far this week, a trader said.

VLSFO and LSMGO availability is normal for deliveries at Argentina’s Zona Comun anchorage. One supplier requires six days of lead time to deliver stems. However, strong wind gusts of up to 30 knots are forecast in Zona Comun and could disrupt bunker deliveries intermittently until Saturday. Some suppliers continue to deliver stems as and when the weather permits, sources say.

VLSFO availability is tight in Uruguay's Montevideo. One supplier is running low on stock.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee and Nithin Chandran

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published:3 February, 2023

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Biofuel

China Shipping & Sinopec Suppliers completes first biofuel bunkering op of passenger ship in Dalian

Firm successfully refuelled passenger ship “Chang Shan Dao” owned by Cosco Shipping Ferry with B24 bio bunker fuel on 29 November at Dalian Cruise Port.

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China Shipping & Sinopec Suppliers completes first biofuel bunkering op of passenger ship in Dalian

China Shipping & Sinopec Suppliers Co., Ltd. on Wednesday (29 November) successfully refuelled passenger ship "Chang Shan Dao" owned by Cosco Shipping Ferry Co., Ltd. with B24 bio bunker fuel at the Dalian Cruise Port. 

The occasion marked the first biofuel bunkering operation for passenger ships in China. 

The B24 biofuel oil used was blended with 24% biofuel and 76% conventional low-sulphur fuel oil.

Sinopec China Shipping Fuel Supply, which is responsible for the bunkering operation, is a bunker supply firm jointly established by Sinopec Group and COSCO Shipping Group.

According to Li Zhi, Deputy Party Secretary and Deputy General Manager of China Shipping & Sinopec Suppliers Co., Ltd., the biofuel bunkering business is another step in the company's active business of the group's development strategy. 

The bunkering operation after the firm completed the first bonded biofuel bunkering operation of a domestic ship on 7 September. 

Disclaimer: The above article published by Manifold Times was sourced from China’s domestic market through a local correspondent. While considerable efforts have been taken to verify its accuracy through a professional translator and processed from sources believed to be reliable, no warranty is made regarding the accuracy, completeness and reliability of any information.

Photo credit: China Shipping & Sinopec Suppliers
Published: 8 December, 2023

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Alternative Fuels

Singapore, Tianjin to pilot and trial alternative bunker fuels following shipping corridor MoU

Singapore – Tianjin Green and Digital Shipping Corridor will serve as a valuable testbed for both countries to pilot and trial digital solutions, alternative fuels and technologies, amongst others.

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Singapore, Tianjin to pilot and trial alternative bunker fuels following shipping corridor MoU

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the People’s Republic of China’s Tianjin Municipal Transportation Commission on Wednesday (6 December) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish the Singapore – Tianjin Green and Digital Shipping Corridor.

Mr Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive, MPA, and Mr Wang Zhinan, Director General, Tianjin Municipal Transportation Commission, signed this MoU.

The MoU marked the first Green and Digital Shipping Corridor established between Singapore and China to support the decarbonisation, digitalisation and growth of the maritime industry between Singapore and the Bohai Region. 

The Singapore – Tianjin Green and Digital Shipping Corridor will serve as a valuable testbed for both countries to pilot and trial digital solutions, alternative bunker fuels and technologies, and facilitate talent development to support the decarbonisation and digitalisation of shipping. 

Singapore and Tianjin will work with the research community, the  institutes of higher learning, and industry stakeholders such as shipping lines, port operators, shipbuilders, classification societies, and bunker suppliers to enable more efficient port clearance through digital exchanges, encourage the offtake of zero or near-zero greenhouse gas emission fuels and adoption of new fuel technologies, spur innovation and support the growth of the maritime startups community, and facilitate manpower training and professional development.

The establishment of the Singapore – Tianjin Green and Digital Shipping Corridor reaffirms the strong commitment by Singapore and Tianjin to accelerate maritime decarbonisation and digitalisation. Singapore will also be exploring the establishment of similar collaboration with other maritime and port ecosystems within China.

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 8 December, 2023

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Decarbonisation

Report highlights routes-based action plan methodology to accelerate uptake of clean bunker fuels

NextGEN Connect-GreenVoyage2050 collaboration, which includes Singapore, emphasises the important role of regional energy hubs in enabling the inclusive adoption of clean marine fuels.

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Report highlights routes-based action plan methodology to accelerate uptake of clean bunker fuels

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Thursday (7 December) said the NextGEN Connect-Green Voyage2050 Project identified a key role for regional hubs to help connect large demand clusters and remote locations, with regional fuel supply sources, in order to enable a more inclusive and effective transition to a low-carbon maritime future. 

The project is a collaboration between Singapore, Norway and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). 

These findings were unveiled in the Lloyd’s Register Maritime Decarbonisation Hub (LR MDH) report titled Routes-based Action Plans: A Toolkit launched at the Voyage to Net-Zero Forum, which was organised by MPA, at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28/CMP8/CMA5) yesterday.  

The report was developed following a workshop discussion that was held from 5 to 6 October 2023 in Singapore, with the participation of 40 stakeholders representing ports and National Administrations across Asia, based on the concept of the LR MDH’s First Movers Framework for green corridors. The workshop simulated the process steps of the routes-based action plan methodology, addressing the limitations in its application in the wider Asian context. Additional engagements with stakeholders from the Pacific are envisaged to further refine the methodology. 

“One of the key findings in our report highlighted the varying pace of decarbonisation efforts across the Asian region and the need for regional coordination among governments to establish energy clusters that will serve both as demand centres and energy producing hubs” said Charles Haskell, Director at LR MDH. 

The creation of energy producing hubs includes defining a strategy that brings together demand from different countries at different developmental stages across the region to build up investment cases for implementing energy infrastructure at scale, all the while taking into consideration the economic and social benefits for local communities. 

The report also emphasised that routes-based action plans should be steered by national governments to give confidence to the industry’s infrastructure investment decisions, with development banks and regional funds needing to play a part to help tailor financing solutions to support infrastructure development. 

“If we truly want to achieve a net-zero future where no one is left behind, we cannot focus only on existing first mover initiatives. We must also study locations where the energy infrastructure is still in its infancy”, added Charles Haskell. 

Essential to driving the implementation of routes-based action plans, as highlighted in the report, is the pooling of resources and capacity building to develop the business case for building the necessary infrastructure for regional hubs that include Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). This will require regional coordination and collaboration involving governments and all stakeholders across the maritime supply chain.

Mr. Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of MPA, said: “As we steer toward a sustainable maritime future, fostering a collective and inclusive approach is imperative in the development of green corridors and the energy transition to decarbonise international shipping.”

“The NextGEN Connect-GreenVoyage2050 collaboration emphasises the important role of regional energy hubs in enabling the inclusive adoption of clean marine fuels, particularly for LDCs and SIDSs. MPA looks forward to continuing its collaboration with IMO, Ministry of Climate and Environment of Norway and LR MDH to pilot solutions to reduce GHG emissions from ships and drive innovative transformations in the maritime industry.”

Sveinung Oftedal, Chief Negotiator of the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment, said: “Separate routes for emission-free ferries and ships can play an essential role in stimulating early action to adopt zero or near-zero emission technologies and fuels, and hence are an important step towards decarbonising shipping. There is currently a significant volume of maritime traffic between Asian countries, and our workshop was a great forum to discuss opportunities the decarbonisation of maritime shipping can bring and how efforts can be linked to countries’ wider energy transition.”

Jose Matheickal, IMO Director of Partnerships and Projects, said: “Supporting developing countries, including SIDS and LDCs, in their efforts to implement the 2023 IMO Strategy on the Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships is imperative to the decarbonisation of the maritime sector. IMO is pleased to provide, through this collaboration, practical support around the development and subsequent implementation of National Action Plans and route-based actions in line with IMO’s MEPC RESOLUTION.366(79) that encourages Member States to undertake these voluntary actions to facilitate the achievement of greener shipping and reduced emissions.” 

Note: ‘Routes-based action Plans: a toolkit’ can be found here

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 8 December, 2023

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