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ENGINE: East of Suez Bunker Fuel Availability Outlook (2 July 2024)

VLSFO and HSFO availability tight in Singapore; VLSFO and LSMGO supply good in several Chinese ports; Low bunker demand in Fujairah.

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RESIZED ENGINE East of Suez

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:

  • VLSFO and HSFO availability tight in Singapore
  • VLSFO and LSMGO supply good in several Chinese ports
  • Low bunker demand in Fujairah

Singapore and Southeast Asia

Bunker demand in Singapore has been “quiet” so far this week. Lead times for VLSFO have seen significant fluctuations recently, with most suppliers now advising up to 14 days. However, some can accommodate stems within four days. This shows a tightening in the grade's supply compared to the previous week, when lead times were around 4-9 days.

HSFO supply has also tightened in the port, with lead times increasing from 4-7 days last week to 6-9 days now. In contrast, lead times for LSMGO remain relatively stable, ranging between 2-5 days, similar to the previous week.

Singapore's residual fuel oil stocks in June averaged 10% higher than in May, despite a 37% decline in net fuel oil imports, according to Enterprise Singapore’s latest data.

In Malaysia's Port Klang, VLSFO and LSMGO grades are abundantly available, with some suppliers offering prompt deliveries for smaller orders. However, HSFO supply is limited in the port.

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

East Asia

VLSFO and LSMGO supply remains strong in Zhoushan amid low bunker demand. Most suppliers are recommending lead times of 5-7 days, unchanged from last week. However, HSFO availability in Zhoushan remains tight, with several suppliers running low on stocks and advising lead times of 7-10 days for this grade.

In Northern China, VLSFO and LSMGO grades are easily available in Dalian port, Qingdao and Tianjin. But HSFO supply is limited in Qingdao and Tianjin. Supply of VLSFO and LSMGO grades is good in Shanghai, while HSFO availability is tight there. In Fuzhou and Xiamen, VLSFO and LSMGO grades are readily available, but prompt availability of both grades is tight in Guangzhou and Yangpu.

Suppliers in Taiwanese ports of Hualien, Kaohsiung, Taichung and Keelung can offer VLSFO and LSMGO deliveries with short lead times of 2-3 days, consistent with last week.

Hong Kong has sufficient supply of all bunker fuel grades, with typical lead times of approximately seven days.

In South Korea, availability of VLSFO and LSMGO has tightened significantly. Lead times for the two grades have increased from 6-8 days last week to 11-15 days now. However, one supplier can still provide deliveries with shorter lead times of 3-4 days. HSFO lead times have extended to 8-18 days from 6-8 days last week.

Rough weather conditions could potentially impact bunker operations this week in several South Korean ports, including Ulsan, Onsan, Busan, Daesan, Taean, and Yeosu.

In Japan, bunker demand remains weak amid high prices. Tokyo’s VLSFO price is at premiums of $33/mt and $55/mt over Singapore and Zhoushan's benchmarks, respectively, as of Tuesday. Recommended lead times vary across major ports in Japan, with 8-10 days in Tokyo, Chiba, Osaka, Kobe, and Mizushima, and longer periods of 15-16 days in Nagoya, Yokkaichi, and Oita.

Oceania

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

In Victoria, both Melbourne and Geelong ports have good availability of VLSFO and LSMGO grades. However, securing prompt HSFO deliveries can be difficult there.

In Queensland, Brisbane and Gladstone have sufficient stocks of VLSFO and LSMGO, with recommended lead times of around 7-8 days, but HSFO availability is constrained in Brisbane.

In New Zealand, Tauranga and Auckland have ample VLSFO supply. LSMGO supply is also good in Auckland. There is forecast of rough weather conditions throughout this week In Tauranga, which could affect bunker operations there.

South Asia

In several Indian ports such as Kandla, Mumbai, Tuticorin, Chennai, Cochin, Visakhapatnam, and Haldia, availability of VLSFO and LSMGO is currently limited due to supply shortages. One supplier in Paradip is nearly out of stocks for both fuel grades.

Mumbai, Kandla and Sikka ports in India are forecast to experience rough weather conditions intermittently this week, which could potentially disrupt bunker operations.

In contrast, the Sri Lankan port of Trincomalee has ample supplies of VLSFO, LSMGO, and HSFO grades.

Middle East

In Fujairah, despite low bunker demand, availability of all grades remains limited with most suppliers requiring lead times of 5-7 days, similar to last week.

A similar situation exists in the UAE port of Khor Fakkan, where suppliers are recommending lead times of 5-7 days.

Meanwhile, Jeddah port in Saudi Arabia has ample supply of VLSFO and LSMGO. In Djibouti, VLSFO supply is under pressure, while LSMGO is more readily available.

By Tuhin Roy

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 3 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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