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Integr8 Fuels: Zhoushan as a new Far East bunker hub

Zhoushan is becoming the key port for bunker-only calls in China, where they plan to sell 7 million tons of bonded fuel via 11 suppliers in 2020, reads report.
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Integr8 Fuels, the bunker trading and brokerage arm of Navig8, on Thursday (14 May) published an analysis on China’s progress into turning Zhoushan Port into a self-sufficient bunkering hub; it was written by Senior Research Analyst, Anton Shamray:

For decades Singapore has been the gateway to Asia, a major hub offering bunkering as well as other various shipping services. There have been a number of attempts to rival it, particularly when it comes to bunkering, however bunker sales in Singapore remain strong, at around 50 million tons per annum out of the global total of 300 million tons.

Recently, however, certain developments in China and particularly around Zhoushan mean, while unlikely to fully rival Singapore, it may become an attractive bunkering alternative for some.

China as an importer of fuel oil

For a long time China imported fuel oil to help meet its domestic consumption, including bunker sales and as a feed for the secondary refinery units. The consumption as well as the sales tax were applicable on all bunker sales, and given that the majority of fuel oil was imported from Singapore, this was evident in the premium at which bunker fuel was priced in China.

Figure 1 shows the Zhoushan HSFO price premium to Singapore. Zhoushan has the share of around 30% of all bunker deliveries in China.

Integr8 Fuels figure 1

For the most of 2018 the premium held at around $10-15/mt, widening significantly in 2019 due to a number of factors.

However, this is now changing as the Chinese government has a vision of creating a bunkering and a service hub in the port of Zhoushan.

Certain steps towards achieving this goal have already been made and the market has reacted accordingly.

Creating a bunker and service hub

In an attempt to promote Zhoushan as a bunker and service hub, a free trade zone was established in 2017. This helped reduce the customs clearance time to avoid delays in supplying vessels.

Further to this in July 2018, a country-wide tax incentive was introduced for marine fuel blending using imported feedstocks. Zhoushan benefited the most as, unlike many other Chinese ports, it boasts substantial storage and blending capacity and there is more under construction. Access to storage was one of the key factors which enabled Singapore to develop as a large bunkering hub.

This, however, was still not enough to encourage Chinese refiners and blenders, who had the capacity but no favourable regulatory framework, to produce more marine fuel to cover domestic and potentially foreign demand.

In February 2020 tax rebates started to apply in China for the sale of marine fuels, increasing the regional competitiveness of domestically produced fuels. Major Chinese refiners announced plans to ramp up VLSFO production amounting to over 20 million tons of VLSFO production in 2020, in line with the annual Chinese domestic and bonded bunker demand.

Zhoushan is increasingly becoming the key port for bunker-only calls in China, where they plan to sell 7 million tons of bonded fuel via 11 suppliers in 2020, up from 3.6 million tons in 2018. Such an increase brings Zhoushan closer to Rotterdam and Fujairah by volume.

These developments pushed the price of VLSFO in Zhoushan lower (Figure 2), raising its competitiveness against other regional ports, including Singapore.

Integr8 Fuels figure 2

With the introduction of tax rebates and increased local production, average monthly VLSFO prices in Zhoushan moved from over $20/mt above Singapore early this year to a discount more recently. This trend is likely to continue as 10 million tons of VLSFO quotas for bonded sales have just been released; an extra 5 million tons may be issued later this year, potentially replacing imports.

Zhoushan bunker sales growing

There is already a solid base for the increased Chinese VLSFO production and sales from Zhoushan, supporting the government intention to create a vessel service hub. This is already visible as bunker enquiries and sales are up.

As an example, Figure 3 shows the cumulative growth in the number of stems Integr8 Fuels concluded in Zhoushan.

Integr8 Fuels figure 3

The Zhoushan growth has also been due to the favourable calling fee policies. With two bunker anchorages, inner and outer, the outer anchorage is free of fees, which makes it similar to Singapore OPL. The inner anchorage charges half of the pilotage fee for bunker-only calls and none if the outer anchorage is unavailable due to bad weather, although other taxes may still apply.

It is understood that the first foreign-flagged vessel was supplied with VLSFO at the Zhoushan outer anchorage in mid-December and many more vessels have followed since.

All these developments increase the attractiveness of Zhoushan as a bunker and vessel services port. There have already been reports of vessels, previously used to bunker elsewhere, deviating to Zhoushan due to the growing price difference. More calls at Zhoushan will help recognise it as a reliable bunker and supply option in the maritime community.

Important decisions and steps have already been made towards reaching China’s goal of being self-sufficient in bunker fuel production and supply and developing Zhoushan as a key bunkering and service location in the Far East.


Photo credit and source: Integr8 Fuels
Published: 15 May, 2020

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Hong Kong-based bunker trading firm E-Marine expands ops with new Shanghai branch office

The HONG KONG E-MARINE SHANGHAI BRANCH will assist E-Marine’s head office in handling bunker trading operations and increase overall bonded bunker trading volumes at China.
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June 4, 2026

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Hong Kong-based marine fuel and lubricant trading company Hongkong E-Marine Supply Service Corporation Limited (E-Marine) on April 15 launched a branch office in Shanghai, learned Manifold Times.

The company HONG KONG E-MARINE SHANGHAI BRANCH will assist the head office in handling bunker trading operations and increase overall bonded bunker trading volumes at China, Managing Director Darcy Wang told the bunkering publication.

“The Shanghai office serves as our China business support and coordination centre. It enables us to stay close to our customers, suppliers and business partners, while also providing access to a deep pool of industry talent,” he shared.

“This development is in line the target to significantly increase our annual bonded bunkering portfolio in China to 1 million metric tonnes (mt) by 2030.

“As we continue to expand our presence in China, we welcome capable and motivated individuals who share our long-term vision to join our Shanghai office.”

E-Marine’s new Shanghai office address is as follows:

Shanghai Xuhui District
Chang Ning Road No.889
Shanghai Yang Guang Bin Jiang Center
Unit 22-13

Candidates interested in growing together with E-Marine are invited to send their CV or profile to [email protected].

E Marine Shanghai office tea cups

Related: E-Marine raising China bonded bunker trading portfolio to 1 million mt by 2030, seeks talents
Related: Hong Kong-based bunker trading firm E-Marine obtains ISCC EU certification
Related: Hong Kong-based bunker trading firm E-Marine introduces Global Sales & Procurement Manager
Related: Hong Kong-based bunker trading firm E-Marine expands operations with Singapore branch
Related: Bunker and lube trading firm Hongkong E-Marine Supply Service to open Singapore branch by June

 

Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 4 June 2026

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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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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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