Singapore’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering sales reached a new record in June, according to Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority.
Preliminary bunkering data posted on MPA’s website shows that LNG bunkering sales in the world’s largest bunkering port reached 51,662 mt in June this year.
This compares to 17,920 mt in June 2023 and 48,752 mt in May this year, which also marked a new monthly record.
LNG bunkering sales in January this year reached 10,420 mt, in February 26,883 mt, 38,618 mt in March, and 35,552 mt in April.
During January-June, LNG bunkering volumes reached 211,877 mt, 91.1 percent more compared to 110,850 mt during the entire last year when LNG bunkering sales jumped compared to 16,300 mt in 2023 and 49,190 mt in 2022.
Three bunkering vessels
The surge in the bunkering volumes can be attributed to new bunkering vessels working in the Singapore port as well as the growth of the global fleet of LNG-powered vessels and lower LNG fuel prices.
In June, Singapore’s FueLNG, a joint venture consisting of Shell and Seatrium, completed its 200th ship-to-ship (STS) LNG bunkering operation.
FueLNG Bellina is Singapore’s first LNG bunkering vessel and it wrapped up its first operation with a CMA CGM container vessel in March 2021.
In June last year, the 18,000-cbm FueLNG Venosa completed its first LNG bunkering operation to the 210,000-dwt bulk carrier, Mount Tai.
This is FueLNG’s second bunkering vessel and the JV charters it from Korea Line LNG, a unit of SM Group’s Korea Line.
In addition to these two vessels, Singapore’s Pavilion Energy, which is being acquired by Shell, completed in February this year the first bunkering operation with MOL’s LNG bunkering vessel, Brassavola.
The newbuild is on charter to Pavilion LNG Bunker I, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pavilion, and it has a capacity of 12,000-cbm.
Both FueLNG and Pavilion have completed hundreds of truck-to-ship LNG bunkering operations in Singapore since they received a license from MPA in 2016.
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, a unit of France’s TotalEnergies, is also among three licensed suppliers of LNG bunkering fuels in the port and will use Brassavola to supply its customers under a long-term agreement with Pavilion.