Sales of marine fuel at Singapore port increased by 1.6% on year in June 2026, according to data from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

In total, 4.67 million metric tonnes (mt) (exact 4,669,100 mt) of various marine fuel grades were delivered at the world’s largest bunkering port in June, up from 4.59 million mt (4,594,700 mt) recorded during the similar month in 2025.

Deliveries of marine fuel oil, low sulphur fuel oil, ultra low sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in June (against on year) recorded respectively 2.03 million mt (+19.4% from 1.70 million mt), 2.20 million mt (-4.8% from 2.31 million mt), zero (-100% from 1,900 mt), 1,900 mt (-57.8% from 4,500 mt) and zero (from zero).

Bio-blended variants of marine fuel oil, low sulphur fuel oil, ultra low sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in June, (against on year) recorded respectively 5,300 mt (-86.3% from 38,800 mt), 30,700 mt (-73.1% from 114,300 mt), zero (from zero), zero (from zero) and zero (from zero). B100 biofuel bunkers, introduced in February last year, recorded 1,500 mt (+50% from 1,000 mt). 

LNG and methanol sales were 55,000 mt (-0.72% from 55,400 mt) and zero (from zero) respectively. There were no recorded sales of ammonia for the month and so far since 2025.

Photo credit: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
Published: 15 July, 2026

Global bunker trading company Glander International Bunkering on Tuesday (14 July) announced its financial results for the year ended April 30, 2026 – reporting a turnover of nearly USD 2 billion and earnings before tax (EBT) of USD 23.4 million.

In the previous year, the company reported a turnover of USD 3 billion and EBT of USD 22 million, including a non-recurring item.

The results come after shipping has faced a year of regulatory acceleration, disrupted trade routes and tight avails.

There was a fundamental shift in market conditions, with geopolitical tensions, Red Sea risks and US tariffs. This was later compounded by the conflict in the Middle East conflict, which led to severe restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz and widespread rerouting, longer voyage time and increased freight costs.

CEO Carsten Ladekjær noted: “The real challenge was managing uncertainty, especially when things are changing by the day, sometimes by the hour. What has stood out is how our teams across the world have responded, how they have stayed close to clients and navigated that disruption in real time.”

Fuel EU entered its first full compliance cycle, becoming a direct factor in voyage economics. Then regulatory uncertainty persisted with key decisions at the MEPC in October being delayed.

Appointed Head of New Fuels in February 2026, Dionysis Diamantopoulos has overseen the continued expansion of the company’s new fuels offering during the past critical few months. 

He said, “We are supporting clients through a wide and evolving portfolio that includes biofuels and biofuel blends, LNG and bio-LNG, pooling and insetting solutions.”

“This approach has allowed us to increase our visibility in the market and contributed to doubling our new fuels volumes over the past year.”

Glander International Bunkering has continued to develop its approach to well-to-wake bunker management, which is a more integrated model of managing fuel, emissions, price and risk.

Ladekjær explains: “It has undeniably been a volatile year for global shipping, and it has changed our role in bunker trading. Our clients do not only come to us for fuel supply, they come to us to manage cost, compliance, and risk.”

The company said this approach reflects a broader shift in the market, where bunker decisions are no longer standalone transactions. They are directly linked to cost exposure, compliance and operational performance across the full fuel lifecycle.

Related: Glander International Bunkering reports EBT of USD 22 million for FY2025

Photo credit: Glander International Bunkering
Published: 15 July, 2026

Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) on Tuesday (14 July) warned that ship operators are facing a growing risk from fuels that appear compliant under routine ISO 8217 testing but still present operational risks once onboard.

According to LR’s latest Fuel Oil Bunker Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) Fuel Quality Report, covering the first half of 2026, off-specification fuels remain a persistent challenge. 

However, some of the most disruptive cases now involve fuels that pass routine compliance testing but show poor stability or compatibility, or contain non-conventional blend components that are only identified through more detailed investigative analysis.

Several incidents investigated highlighted this trend. In March and April, a number of vessels reported operational difficulties after bunkering fuel in a major bunkering hub. Further forensic analysis found that many of the fuels contained elevated concentrations of Estonian shale oil, in some cases estimated to be around 10-15%.

While shale oil is recognised within ISO 8217 as an acceptable blend component, FOBAS investigations found that higher concentrations can be associated with fuel instability and operational issues affecting filters, separators and fuel pumps.

The report also shows that fuel quality variability remains stubbornly high. Off-specification cases remained elevated throughout the first six months of 2026, suggesting that quality issues are no longer isolated events but a more persistent feature of today’s marine fuel supply chain.

The most common recurring issues included sulphur exceedances, excessive water content, sediment and stability problems, elevated catalytic fines, sodium contamination and low flash point distillate fuels.

At the same time, biofuels (especially FAME blends) are continuing to grow without being a primary source of quality issues. Where issues occurred in blended fuels, they were generally associated with the conventional VLSFO component rather than the FAME fraction.

The report concluded that operators will need to adopt a more proactive approach to fuel management as marine fuels become more diverse and fuel quality risks become harder to identify through routine compliance testing alone.

Greater emphasis on fuel stability, compatibility and understanding fuel composition will be critical to reducing operational disruption and maintaining vessel performance.

Murray Kirkwood, Fuel Specialist Consultant, Lloyd’s Register, said: “The findings from our latest report show that fuel quality risk is evolving. The challenge is no longer simply identifying fuels that fail specification. Increasingly, operators are encountering fuels that meet the required limits but still create operational difficulties once they are stored, handled and used onboard.

“As fuel blending becomes more complex, the distinction that matters is increasingly not between on-spec and off-spec fuel, but between fuels that are operationally resilient and fuels that are operationally fragile. Understanding that difference is becoming essential for shipowners and operators.”

The latest findings reinforced FOBAS’ long-standing view that effective fuel management increasingly depends on understanding fuel behaviour rather than relying solely on pass-or-fail specification testing.

By combining routine fuel quality monitoring with forensic investigation of operational incidents, FOBAS provides shipowners with a clearer understanding of emerging fuel quality risks as the industry continues its transition to a more diverse and complex fuel landscape.

Note: The FOBAS Fuel Insight: Fuel Quality Report H1 2026 is available at FOBAS Fuel Insight: Fuel quality reports | LR

Photo credit: Lloyd’s Register
Published: 15 July, 2026