Singapore Sets April 2025 Deadline for Mandatory Digital Bunker Notes

Posted by Written by Ayman Falak Medina Reading Time: 2 minutes

By April 2025, Singapore will require marine fuel suppliers to issue digital bunker notes, streamlining the bunkering process and boosting transparency between buyers and sellers.

Marine fuel suppliers in Singapore will be obligated to provide digital bunkering service notes and issue digital bunker notes from April 2025.

The Singapore government is hoping this initiative will streamline the ship bunkering (fueling) process by making data between buyers and sellers more transparent.

Singapore is the world’s leading hub for bunkering, offering strategic access to key shipping lanes and advanced infrastructure. With over 50 million metric tons of marine fuel sold annually, it plays a vital role in global maritime trade. Strict regulations, high-quality standards, and cutting-edge technologies ensure efficient, reliable fueling services for vessels worldwide.

Further, to boost transparency and ensure transaction integrity in bunkering operations, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will introduce a centralized e-Bunker Delivery Note (e-BDN) verification facility. This system allows stakeholders to cross-check e-BDNs received against the information transmitted to MPA, ensuring greater accuracy and reliability in bunkering processes.

Digitalization transforming bunkering operations

The introduction of e-Bunker Delivery Notes (e-BDNs) offers a range of benefits. It reduces the risks linked to paper-based systems, such as fraud or human errors, which often lead to discrepancies in fuel delivery. Moreover, e-BDNs streamline communication between suppliers, ship operators, and regulators, providing real-time data that can be easily verified.

Singapore’s bunkering leadership and evolution

Singapore’s status as the top global bunkering hub has been solidified through decades of progress, driven by continuous innovation and stringent standards. The bunkering sector is a key pillar of Singapore’s maritime economy, bolstered by its prime geographic location at the intersection of crucial shipping routes.

The country recorded over 51 million tons of bunker sales in 2023 with more than half of this volume, or 30.7 million tons from very-low sulfur fuel oil.

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