Singapore's March bunker sales rise 10.8% on year to 4.18 mil mt

Bunker fuel sales at the world's largest bunker hub of Singapore gained 10.8% year on year to record 4.175 million mt in March, also a 10% increase from February, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore preliminary data published April 14 showed.

Sales of International Maritime Organization-compliant bunker fuel rose 7.5% on the year and 9.7% on the month to 2.577 million mt in March.

The proportion of low sulfur fuel oil bunker sales inched down to 61.7% of total sales in March, the lowest since November 2022, MPA data showed.

Sales of high sulfur fuel oil bunker, which includes 180 CST, 380 CST and 500 CST grades, touched a three-month high of 1.236 million mt across March, 13.6% higher on the year and marking also the largest monthly increase in four months at 11.4%, according to MPA data.

March's HSFO bunker sales accounted for 29.6% of the total, highest since November 2022 when it stood at 30.8%, the data showed.

Sales of low sulfur marine gasoil, which has a maximum sulfur content of 0.1%, climbed 16% year on year and was up 6.2% on the month, to a six-month high of 315,500 mt in March, MPA data showed.

LSMGO sales were last higher in September 2022, at 329,400 mt.

The number of bunker-only calls rebounded to a record total of 3,476 in March, 13.5% above the previous month and 15.1% up on the year to reverse a steep monthly decline of 11.1% earlier in February, according to data by MPA.

The number of bunker-only calls was last higher at 3,593 in January 2021.

The number of overall vessel arrivals at the port of Singapore was 11.6% higher on the month and up 40.6% on the year, totaling 10,270 across March, led mostly by the container and passenger liner freight segments, MPA data also showed.

Vessel arrivals was last recorded higher at 10,879 in February 2020, the data showed.

Singapore's bunker sales in March:

Source: Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore