Singapore Becomes the First Port Globally to Introduce Digital Bunkering
1 month ago
Singapore Becomes the First Port Globally to Introduce Digital Bunkering
Singapore to Become First Port to Fully Implement Digital Bunkering by 2025
Singapore is set to become the world's first port to fully transition to digital bunkering, eliminating the use of paper bunker delivery notes. Starting April 1, 2025, all bunker suppliers in Singapore will be required to adopt digital bunkering practices and issue electronic bunker delivery notes (e-BDN).
During her keynote address at the Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition on October 9, Senior Minister of State for Transport, Dr. Amy Khor, highlighted the benefits of this shift, emphasizing that digital bunkering will enhance efficiency and transparency across Singapore's port operations. "This initiative is expected to save the industry approximately 40,000 man-days annually by streamlining the fueling process," she said.
Singapore, the largest bunkering hub by sales volume globally, sold nearly 52 million tonnes of marine fuel in 2023. The port has been piloting digital bunkering services over the past year with several local fuel suppliers in preparation for this significant shift.
To support this transition, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) will establish a centralized e-BDN verification facility, allowing bunker delivery notes to be electronically verified against data submitted to the authority. Additionally, Enterprise Singapore, in collaboration with the Singapore Standards Council (SSC), will introduce Singapore Standard (SS) 709 for Digital Bunkering Supply Chain Documentation, ensuring data consistency, system interoperability, and smoother transactions.
As part of its broader digitalization efforts, MPA also announced the launch of two AI-powered applications, DocuMind and DocuMatch, designed to expedite the renewal of ship certificates for Singapore-registered vessels. These tools will reduce the processing time from three days to just minutes.
This digitalization milestone builds on Singapore’s track record of innovation, following its 2017 introduction of mass flow metering technology, which became the global standard for verifying bunker fuel volumes.
Source: Container News