Marine fuel sales at the world’s biggest bunker port swelled to 54,924,000 metric tonnes (mt) last year, comfortably eclipsing the previous record, set in 2023, of 51,824,000 mt.
The annual total was boosted by a strong December which saw some 4,790,030 mt of bunkers sold – the fourth-highest monthly total of the year.
Very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) accounted for the majority of bunkers sold in the Lion City in 2024. However, last year’s total of 29,578,900 mt marked a slight decrease compared to the 30,701,400 mt that was registered in 2023.
Sales of the next most in demand fuel grade, high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO), saw a marginal year-on-year increase, from 16,716,700 mt in 2023 to 16,894,300 in 2024.
While sales of conventional marine fuels in 2024 largely reflected 2023 – low sulphur marine gasoil (LMSGO) sales rose from 3,547,500 mt to 3,748,100 mt, and marine gasoil (MGO) sales slipped from 223,500 mt to 96,700 mt – it was bio-blends and LNG that made the difference. The 883,000 mt of bio-blended bunker fuel sales was significantly up on 2023 while marine LNG sales rose 318.5% year-on-year, from 110,900 mt to 464,100 mt.
Sales of methanol rose from 300 mt in 2023 to 1,600 mt in 2024. As previously reported by Bunkerspot, in May, the MPA said it was ‘ready for commercial scale methanol bunkering operations’ following the successful completion of the first simultaneous methanol fuelling and cargo operation (SIMOPS). In October, the port authority said it, along with Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), is developing the Singapore standards for methanol bunkering and ammonia bunkering by 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Notably, the significant increase in bunker sales was not reflected in calls for bunkers, which saw a marginal increase, from 29,358 mt in 2023 to 29,382.
Total vessel arrivals slipped from 121,403 in 2023 to 116,272 in 2024.