Digital Bunkering Becomes the New Standard at the Port of Singapore
The Port of Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering port, is set to fully transition to digital bunkering. Starting April 1, 2025, all bunker suppliers will be required to provide digital services and issue electronic bunker delivery notes (e-BDNs) as the default.
The move follows the 80th Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) session in July 2023, where the International Maritime Organization (IMO) officially recognized bunker delivery notes in both hard copy and digital formats. In November 2023, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) launched its digital bunkering initiative, making Singapore the first port worldwide to implement e-BDNs through approved digital solutions.
Beyond the shift to e-BDNs, MPA will also reduce the verification frequency for mass flow meters (MFM) from twice to once a year starting April 1, 2025—a change expected to save the industry approximately $300,000 annually. Additionally, by 2025, MPA plans to introduce a centralized e-BDN verification system, allowing stakeholders to authenticate bunker delivery records against data transmitted to the authority.
To further ensure consistency and interoperability in digital bunkering, Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Standards Council (SSC) will introduce a new “Specification for Digital Bunkering Supply Chain Documentation” standard. The Singapore Standard (SS) 648 Code of Practice for Bunker Mass Flow Metering has also been updated to include data integrity and transmission requirements.
The shift to digital bunkering eliminates manual paperwork and streamlines the entire bunkering value chain. By digitalizing processes like bunker requisition forms, checklists, and documentation, the initiative is expected to save the industry nearly 40,000 man-days annually. It also enhances data sharing, improves compliance, reduces errors, strengthens fraud detection, and supports a more secure, efficient, and environmentally friendly bunkering process.
In other developments, MPA announced in January 2025 that sales of alternative bunker fuels surpassed 1 million tonnes for the first time, reaching 1.34 million tonnes in 2024. Total bunker sales also hit a new record of 54.92 million tonnes, marking a 6% year-on-year increase. As a major global fuel supplier, Singapore provides over one-sixth of the total marine fuel used worldwide and remains committed to advancing a multi-fuel future.
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