The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Thursday (30 July) said it will issue eight new licences to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel in Singapore from 1 September. MPA said the new licences will expand Singapore’s LNG bunkering capacity, strengthen the supporting ecosystem to meet growing demand for LNG bunkering services, and support Singapore’s continued development as a multi-fuel bunkering hub. The licences will be awarded to Aramco Trading Singapore, Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services, ExxonMobil Asia Pacific, PetroChina International (Singapore), Shell Eastern Trading, Sinopec Fuel Oil (Singapore), TotalEnergies Gas & Power Asia (TEGPA)-Sembcorp Fuels (Singapore) Joint Venture, and Vitol Bunkers (S). “The eight successful applicants were selected following an evaluation of their supply capabilities, commercial plans, operational experience, and safety standards,” MPA said in a statement. The evaluation also considered their capabilities to monitor and mitigate methane slip and support the supply of methane-based alternatives with lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions, including liquefied bio-methane and e-methane. The licences will be valid for five years, from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2031, subject to licensees continuing to meet the relevant licensing conditions. Licensees are required to provide end-to-end LNG bunkering services, including fuel supply, storage, cargo transfer and delivery to vessels. The issuance of these licences concludes the Call for Applications launched on 14 January. To further strengthen safe and reliable LNG bunkering operations, MPA and Enterprise Singapore, through the Singapore Standards Council, will upgrade the existing Technical Reference for LNG Bunkering (TR56) into a Singapore Standard (SS) in August 2026. “The new SS will strengthen safety requirements, bunkering procedures, custody transfer and crew competencies, and serve as a common industry reference for LNG bunkerin