The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has granted LNG bunkering licences to eight companies authorised to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) as marine fuel in the Port of Singapore, a move that more than triples the city-state's licensed LNG bunker supplier base as the global shipping industry accelerates efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under International Maritime Organization targets.

According to an MPA press release issued on Thursday, the new licences will take effect on September 1, 2026, and remain valid until August 31, 2031.

The eight new licence holders are:

• 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–Sembcorp Fuels (Singapore) joint venture
• Vitol Bunkers (S)

Prior to these awards, Singapore had three LNG bunker supplier licensees: FuelLNG, Pavilion Gas, and TotalEnergies Marine Fuels. The expansion comes as shipowners increasingly adopt dual-fuel vessels capable of running on LNG, drawn by its lower sulphur oxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter emissions compared with conventional marine fuels. Singapore, consistently ranked as the world's largest bunkering port by volume, is positioning LNG as part of a broader multi-fuel transition strategy that also includes biofuels, methanol, and ammonia.

MPA had invited applications for additional licences in January 2026. In April, the port authority confirmed it had received 14 proposals aimed at scaling up LNG bunker supply within the port.

Applicants were assessed on supply capability, commercial plans, operational experience, and safety standards, MPA said. The evaluation also considered each applicant's ability to manage methane slip and to support lower-emission fuels such as liquefied biomethane and e-methane.

Separately, MPA announced it will upgrade its LNG bunkering technical reference (TR56) into a Singapore Standard in August, a move intended to strengthen safety and operational requirements for LNG bunkering operations.

Singapore's LNG bunker sales in June 2026 totalled 54,970 metric tonnes, representing a year-on-year decline of 0.7% and a month-on-month decrease of 21.8%. The recent sales softness notwithstanding, the significant expansion of licensed suppliers signals MPA's expectation that LNG bunker demand will grow as more dual-fuel vessels enter service and as the port works to maintain its competitive position against emerging bunkering hubs in the Middle East and Northeast Asia.