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ENGINE: East of Suez Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (16 July 2024)

Bunkering disrupted in weather-exposed Zhoushan; bunker demand is low in South Korean ports; LSMGO supply good across Omani ports.

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ENGINE East of Suez 1

The following article regarding regional bunker fuel availability outlook for the East of Suez region has been provided by online marine fuels procurement platform ENGINE for publication on Singapore bunkering publication Manifold Times:

  • Bunkering disrupted in weather-exposed Zhoushan
  • Bunker demand is low in South Korean ports
  • LSMGO supply good across Omani ports

Singapore and Southeast Asia

In recent weeks, lead times for VLSFO have fluctuated significantly in Singapore, with most suppliers now suggesting up to 14 days. However, some suppliers can manage stems within five days. Last week, the recommended lead times were approximately 7–11 days for the grade.

The availability of prompt HSFO supply remains tight, with lead times ranging between 9-14 days, which is almost unchanged from the previous week. Meanwhile, lead times for LSMGO have remained stable at 3–7 days.

According to Enterprise Singapore, Singapore’s residual fuel oil stocks have averaged 11% lower so far this month than compared to June. The port’s fuel oil stocks have dropped below 18 million bbls because of a significant 31% decline in net fuel imports this month. Both imports and exports have decreased, with fuel oil imports falling by 1.28 million bbls, surpassing the 283,000-bbl drop in exports.

The port’s middle distillate stocks have also declined, averaging 8% lower this month.

In Malaysia's Port Klang, VLSFO and LSMGO grades are abundantly available. Some suppliers can offer VLSFO and LSMGO for prompt deliveries for smaller stem sizes, but HSFO supply is mostly limited.

In the Indonesian ports of Jakarta and Surabaya, VLSFO and LSMGO grades are readily available. Additionally, Balikpapan port has prompt VLSFO supply available.

East Asia

All grades are readily available in Zhoushan, with suppliers recommending lead times of 5-7 days. However, bunker deliveries at Zhoushan’s Tiaozhoumen and Xiazhimen outer anchorages have remained suspended since Friday due to rough weather. Most suppliers are unsure when operations will resume in these anchorages. Overall, demand has been low in Zhoushan.

In Northern China, VLSFO and LSMGO grades are easily accessible in Dalian, Qingdao, and Tianjin, although HSFO supply is limited in Qingdao and Tianjin. Shanghai has a good supply of VLSFO and LSMGO, but HSFO remains scarce. In Fuzhou and Xiamen, VLSFO and LSMGO grades are readily available, while prompt availability is restricted in Guangzhou and Yangpu.

Chinese refiners produced 1.29 million mt of VLSFO in June, slightly down from 1.31 million mt in May, market intelligence provider JLC reported.

In Taiwanese ports such as Hualien, Kaohsiung, and Keelung, VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries are available with lead times of 2-3 days, similar to last week. Suppliers in Taichung require slightly longer lead times of 4-5 days for both grades.

Hong Kong has an ample supply of all bunker fuel grades, with lead times of approximately 3-5 days.

In South Korean ports, the availability of all fuel grades remains good due to low bunker demand. Most suppliers are recommending lead times of approximately three days for VLSFO and LSMGO across the country. For HSFO, lead times of around 2-3 days are advised in western South Korean ports, while suppliers in southern ports require a slightly longer six days. This week, strong winds and high waves may intermittently affect bunker operations in the South Korean ports of Ulsan, Onsan, Busan, Daesan, Taean, and Yeosu.

In Japan, bunker demand remains low. Lead times differ across major ports, with 5-7 days needed in Tokyo, Chiba, Osaka, Kobe, and Mizushima, while longer periods of 12–13 days are required in Nagoya, Yokkaichi, and Oita.

Adverse weather conditions are expected throughout the week in the Thai port of Koh Sichang. Similarly, the Vietnamese port of Ho Chi Minh is anticipated to experience adverse weather from 18-22 July, which could potentially impact bunker deliveries.

Oceania

In Western Australia, VLSFO and LSMGO grades are available at ports including Kwinana, Fremantle, and Kembla, with typical lead times of 7-8 days. In New South Wales, LSMGO is readily available in Sydney, while prompt HSFO supply depends on the enquiry.

Victoria's ports of Melbourne and Geelong have good availability of VLSFO and LSMGO, though prompt HSFO deliveries can be challenging. In Queensland, Brisbane and Gladstone have ample stocks of VLSFO and LSMGO, with lead times around 7-8 days, but HSFO availability is limited in Brisbane.

In New Zealand, Tauranga and Auckland have ample VLSFO supply, with Auckland also having good LSMGO availability. However, Tauranga is expected to experience rough weather conditions over the weekend, which may impact bunker operations.

South Asia

In several Indian ports, including Kandla, Tuticorin, Chennai, Cochin, Visakhapatnam, and Haldia, the availability of VLSFO and LSMGO is currently limited.

Mumbai, Kandla, Sikka, Cochin, and Visakhapatnam are expected to encounter intermittent rough weather conditions this week, potentially disrupting bunker operations.

Similarly, the Sri Lankan port of Colombo is forecast to experience intermittent rough weather, which may impact bunker deliveries.

Middle East

In Fujairah, prompt availability of all grades has tightened, with most suppliers now requiring lead times of 7–10 days, up from 5-7 days last week.

Similarly, in the UAE port of Khor Fakkan, prompt availability of all grades is tight, with recommended lead times of 7-10 days.

In Saudi Arabia's Jeddah port, there is an ample supply of VLSFO and LSMGO. In Djibouti, some suppliers are experiencing shortages of VLSFO, while LSMGO remains unaffected.

In Iraq’s Basrah, there is good availability of VLSFO and LSMGO, whereas Qatar’s Ras Laffan is nearly depleted of both low-sulphur fuel grades.

LSMGO is readily available in Omani ports, including Sohar, Salalah, Muscat, and Duqm.

By Tuhin Roy

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 17 July, 2024

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Bunker Fuel

Singapore confirms bunker spill from damaged shore fuel hose at Brani Regional Base

Authorities said about 23 metric tonnes had leaked from a damaged shore fuel hose used to refuel patrol craft at Selat Sengkir and no oil slicks observed.

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RESIZED SG bunker tanker

Singapore authorities on Thursday (6 February) confirmed that a diesel oil leak was discovered at the Police Coast Guard (PCG) Brani Regional Base on 5 February, at around 11.40am (Singapore Time). 

The leak was eventually isolated at about 3.40pm. 

“About 23 metric tonnes had leaked from a damaged shore fuel hose used to refuel patrol craft at Selat Sengkir,” said Singapore Police Force, Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) and National Environment Agency (NEA) in a joint statement. 

PCG and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore have deployed patrol craft and spill response resources to clean up small patches of light oil sheens observed in our southern waters. 

Contractors have also been activated to support the operation. There are no oil slicks observed. 

Navigational traffic in the area is not affected. There is no impact to operations in the Port of Singapore.

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 7 February, 2025

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LNG Bunkering

LNG bunkering at Port of Barcelona increases by 60.5% on year in 2024

Port said 229,750 cubic metre of LNG were supplied at the port in 2024, achieving an increase of 60.5% compared to 2023 and a total of 491 LNG bunkering operations were carried out at the port.

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LNG bunkering at Port of Barcelona increases by 60.5% on year in 2024

The Port of Barcelona on Wednesday (5 February) said 229,750 cubic metre (m³) of LNG were supplied at the port in 2024, achieving an increase of 60.5% compared to 2023.

The Port said the achievement placed Barcelona as the leading port in the state - with 40% of the total m³ of LNG supplied - and one of the first in Europe in LNG bunkering. 

In 2024, a total of 491 LNG bunkering operations were carried out for ships, of which 402 were via tankers trucks, with 45,427 m³ supplied, and 89 were ship-to-ship (STS) transfers from barges, with 184,324 m³ delivered. 

Of the 8,398 ship calls at the Port of Barcelona during 2024, 822 calls were from ships using LNG, about 10% of the total calls at the port.  

The ships that have received LNG bunker fuel in Barcelona have been mainly cruises and ferries, reaching close to 23% and 19% of the calls of both types of ships and contributing to a reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions of 20% for cruises and 18% for ferries. 

The top cruise companies have incorporated LNG-powered ships into their fleets, a good number of which operate regularly in Barcelona. During 2024, a total of 1,664,712 cruise passengers (45.5%) passed through Barcelona on board an LNG-powered cruise ship.

The increase in bunker supply of 60.5% has been possible due to several factors: 

  • the presence of the LNG supply barge based in the Haugesund port Knutsen, from the company Knutsen-Scale Gas,
  • the commitment of the shipping company Baleària to LNG, provided by several tanker trucks at the same time,
  • and the incorporation of new types of ships that use LNG in the port, notably car carriers. The Lake Herman ship, from Japanese shipping company MOL, was the first vehicle carrier to carry out LNG bunkering at the Port of Barcelona, ​​followed by four more ships of the same service, to which two new ships have been added at the beginning of 2025. 

During 2024, the fast ferry Margarita Salas, powered by dual LNG engines, was also added. Operated by Baleària, this ship began operating last June, connecting Barcelona with Mallorca and Menorca at high speed. This new connection reinforces the commitment to integrating LNG into passenger transport and significantly reduces the emissions generated on this route.

The Port of Barcelona said it will continue to facilitate the introduction of LNG with measures such as administrative simplification to facilitate the authorisation of LNG bunkering operations; and the availability of generic risk analyses to be able to expand these operations to other types of ships. 

During 2025, new risk analyses will be carried out to allow the supply of LNG to container ships, for which the port has already received interest from supply operators.

 

Photo credit: Port of Barcelona
Published: 7 February, 2025

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Shipping Corridor

Clear plan developed for Stockholm-Turku green shipping corridor

After a year of cooperation, Viking Line, Port of Turku and Ports of Stockholm said they have now laid a solid foundation for the green corridor project and developed a clear plan for a common way forward.

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Clear plan developed for Stockholm-Turku green shipping corridor

Viking Line, Port of Turku and Ports of Stockholm on Thursday (6 February) said they have now laid a solid foundation for a green shipping corridor project and developed a clear plan for a common way forward.

This comes after working together for a year on the project which aims to establish a green, fossil-free shipping corridor between Stockholm and Turku. 

On the anniversary on 6 February, the parties and a large number of invited stakeholders gathered for an open seminar in Turku, Finland. Results, experiences, challenges and opportunities were discussed based on the common goal of establishing a green maritime corridor between Stockholm and Turku by 2035.

Magdalena Bosson, CEO Ports of Stockholm, said: “We are very pleased with the cooperation and the work done during the first year.”

“We have been investing in onshore power supply infrastructure for ships for many years and Viking Line is one of the pioneers. Now we are further sharpening our goals together with the other parties to establish a fossil-free shipping corridor between Stockholm and Turku.”

Jan Hanses, CEO Viking Line, said: “We are proud to be part of this important co-operation project for a cleaner Baltic Sea. Our most significant investment so far is to offer all our passengers and freight customers biofuel for transport between Stockholm and Turku, reducing emissions for their journeys by 90%.”

“In addition, a possible battery installation and Elogrids, which reduces energy consumption, are important elements of our work in the coming years.”

Elogrids is a grid system installed on the ship's hull to reduce resistance and improve fuel efficiency. It optimises water flow and reduces turbulence, resulting in lower energy consumption.

Erik Söderholm, CEO Port of Turku, said: “A green shipping corridor gives us the opportunity to promote sustainable development and reduce the environmental impact of shipping.”

“During the past year, we have started more detailed planning of measures related to the green shipping corridor, such as updating our carbon footprint calculation and preparing for the development of charging stations for heavy traffic.”

During the first year, the parties have identified and prioritised the most important goals and measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in shipping. 

A clear project plan with activities has been developed, including:

Viking Line

  • Pre-study of battery installation on Viking Grace and Viking Glory
  • Installing Elogrids on the vessels
  • Increase sales of biogas supplements for transport between Stockholm and Turku

Port of Turku

  • Study and pilot project for onshore power supply at the quay
  • Zero emissions from Viking Line vessels at berth
  • Guidelines and incentives for port operators for zero emissions
  • In collaboration with external actors, develop concepts that link the green shipping corridor with sustainable transport from and to the port on land
  • Opportunity for shipping companies to bunker sustainable fuels

Ports of Stockholm

  • Zero emissions from Viking Line vessels at the quayside
  • In collaboration with external actors, develop concepts that link the green shipping corridor with sustainable transport from and to the port on land
  • Opportunity for shipping companies to bunker fossil-free fuels

 

Photo credit: Ports of Stockholm
Published: 7 February, 2025

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