5 Nov 2025On 31 October 2025, SSA hosted its latest Bunkering Community Forum, gathering over than 100 maritime professionals, regulators, and fuel experts to tackle the complexities of Singapore’s evolving bunkering landscape.
Against the backdrop of rapid maritime decarbonisation, the SSA Bunkering Community Forum 2025 was where industry leaders, regulators, and technical experts convened to unpack the evolving bunkering landscape. With the theme “Making Bunkering Uncomplicated”, the forum addressed the convergence of safety, compliance, and finance in the transition to greener fuels.
Opening the session, Mr. Chua Yeng Hian, Director of Marine Services Division at MPA, welcomed digital bunkering providers into Singapore’s maritime ecosystem. He credited Singapore’s bunkering leadership for the successful adoption of digital bunker delivery notes and reaffirmed MPA’s ambition to become a global hub for alternative fuels.
Building on Mr. Chua’s remarks, Mr. Rohit Radhakrishnan, Chairman of SSA’s Marine Fuel Committee, shared key finding from a Q2 of 2025 survey of SSA members in the bunkering sector. Key insights highlighted the continued areas of concern relating to fuel quantity, quality, and compliance, alongside growing interest in alternative fuels. The survey also revealed that carbon taxation, and insurance and liability risks associated with off-spec or contaminated fuels emerging as most pressing issues. To address these challenges, Mr. Rohit said that moving forward, his committee will focus on a series of immediate to long-term priorities which aims to restore industry trust, promote robust standards, and accelerate the adoption of decarbonisation initiatives. For instance, the committee will promote ISO 8217:2024 adoption and supplier readiness, and pilot B30+ biofuel bunkering.
Navigating the Future of Marine Fuels: Global, Port, and Safety Perspectives
The forum featured a trio of expert presentations that offered a comprehensive view of the evolving marine fuel landscape, from global market trends to Singapore’s port strategy and safety protocols for alternative fuels.
Ms. Mahua Mitra, Editor from Argus Media Group, provided a global perspective of the energy transition. Her presentation underscored the growing prominence of alternative fuels, the complexities of carbon pricing, and the increasing sustainability pressures across global markets.
Following this, Mr. Calvin Lee, Deputy Director of Standards & Investigation – Marine Fuel from MPA, emphasised the critical role of digitalisation and regulatory compliance in maintaining Singapore’s position as a global bunkering leader. He highlighted MPA’s plans to accelerate decarbonisation through the Green Digital Shipping Corridors, aligned with Singapore’s multi-fuel strategy.
Complementing this, Mr. Partha Das, Global Technical Manager from Lloyd’s Register, emphasised the importance for technical readiness and robust safety protocols for handling the new fuels.
From Insight to Action
Following the presentations, two panel discussions took place. Moderated by Mr. Calvin Lee from MPA, the first panel explored the scalability and sustainability of biofuels while balancing supply realities with environmental goals.
The second panel, led by Dr. Sanjay Kuttan, Founder & CEO of Kai Gaia International Advisory, tackled the complexities of carbon pricing and compliance. This session focused on the operationalisation of carbon regulations across jurisdictions and the implications for liability and taxation.
We sincerely thank our pannelists for their valuable insights:
Mr. Loo Wei Ming from Pacific International Lines
Ms. Koo Soo Yong from Trafigura
Capt. Rahul Choudhur from Standards Development Organization
Ms. Vanessa Xavier from Peninsula
Ms. Tan Wan Jing from Gard (Singapore)
Mr. Eric Bea from Hafnia
A key takeaway from presentations and panels was clear: the transition to alternative fuels is a shared responsibility. No single stakeholder can drive this change alone. Regulators, industry players, technical experts, and solution providers must work together to ensure that safety and sustainability is upheld as the bunkering sector evolves.
The forum concluded with a Q&A session, certificate presentations, and closing remarks by Mr. Sheen Mao Choong, Vice-Chairman of SSA Marine Fuel Committee. He reflected on the day’s discussions and reaffirmed SSA’s commitment to supporting the industry through knowledge-sharing and collaboration.
A special thank you to our sponsors, Ofiniti and Peninsula, for their generous support.
