Opening Address by Mr Murali Pillai, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Law, at the 24th Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON)

Mr Kitack Lim, Secretary-General Emeritus, International Maritime Organisation,

His Excellency Stephen Marchisio, Ambassador of France to Singapore

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

1.            Today, we meet at a moment of dexterity – where we are holding in abeyance many consequential and far-reaching decisions. 

a.            New fuels and technologies are emerging.

b.            Regulations and markets are evolving.

c.            Geopolitical disruptions have further complicated global energy and supply chains.

2.            Because so much is unclear, we today must make journeys where routes are not fully charted.

a.            We do not yet know which fuels will ultimately be the fuel of choice for the sector.

b.            The different fuel pathways are also developing at different speeds.

c.            There is no blueprint for the global transition.

3.            There are no easy answers. No single company, and no single country, has all the solutions. This is why SIBCON matters. I am really glad to see 2,000 of you participating in this year’s SIBCON.

4.            This year's theme, "Charting a Resilient Multi-Fuel Future", reflects our ambition to navigate uncertainty together.

5.            This moment has had parallels in shipping history.

6.            Mr Robert Maersk Uggla, the grandson of the founder of Maersk, told me that the current multi-fuel provisioning and the inefficiencies associated with it mirror what happened at the turn of the 20^th century.

7.            Then too, there was competition between steam propulsion by coal, to what has emerged as the mainstay of the industry today, the internal combustion propulsion engine which runs on Marine Fuel Oil.

8.            For 40-50 years, ports including Singapore, provided dexterously for both coal and Marine Fuel Oil until a clear leader emerged.

9.            Singapore at the time had invested heavily in the infrastructure for coal. It was no easy task to transition to a new fuel, especially when we did not know which fuel it was to be.

10.            Marine Fuel Oil’s place on the podium was on a primarily economic logic, due to its better fuel efficiency.

11.            Today, that logic is still important, but it is not the only, or even the most important criterion. Our planetary boundaries are closing in, we do not have 50 years and an economic logic must coexist with an ecological one.

12.            In the meantime, we must keep ships moving, energy flowing, and global trade connected, in a greener and more sustainable manner. Achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by or around 2050 remains our polestar.

13.            Our partnership will allow us to continue our important work at a time of flux; it binds us in joint ambition because it gives us:

a.            The confidence for essential activities such as bunkering;

b.            The dexterity to invest and provide different fuel options; and

c.            The steadfastness to pursue net zero.

Boost to Bunkering Reliability  

14.            Let me start with bunkering – a vital pillar of Singapore's maritime hub.

15.            As bunkering becomes more complex, digitalisation will be key to sustaining that confidence.

16.            A good example is MPA’s Digital Bunkering Initiative. Under Phase 1, MPA made electronic Bunker Delivery Notes, or e-BDNs, mandatory, replacing paper documentation with a standardised digital workflow.

17.            Our experience with Phase 1 gives us confidence that industry can adapt successfully. Take Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services, or EMF, one of Singapore's leading bunker suppliers. Led by second-generation owner Mr Choong Sheen Mao, the company’s Chief Operating Officer and Vice Chairman of SSA's Marine Fuels Committee, EMF has embraced digitalisation across its bunkering operations.

a.            When e-BDN was first introduced, EMF faced some challenges, including gaining acceptance from customers and their ship crew.

b.            It responded by bringing its operations and technology teams together to identify issues quickly and implement practical solutions.

c.            These efforts have delivered tangible benefits. EMF’s digital tools have reduced manual data entry, improved bunker barge allocation and given customers easier access to real-time information on their bunker deliveries.

18.            EMF's experience shows that moving away from familiar ways of working is not always easy. But when industry embraces change, digitalisation can improve efficiency, transparency and confidence in Singapore's bunkering ecosystem.

19.            We will now embark on Phase 2 of the Digital Bunkering Initiative – moving beyond digital documentation towards a trusted digital data ecosystem. We will work with industry to capture data at source and transmit it directly to digital bunkering systems and MPA, reducing intermediary handling and providing greater assurance over transaction integrity. MPA will launch a grant call in November 2026 to support selected trials, and I encourage licensed bunker craft operators to participate.

20.            Through reliable data, strong standards and operational preparedness, Singapore will strive to remain a reliable bunkering hub.

Dexterity to Invest

21.            With the future fuel mix still uncertain, Singapore has decided not to bet on a single winning fuel but is instead building optionality – preparing several pathways so that, as demand develops, we have the standards, infrastructure and operational capabilities to support different fuels safely and at scale.

22.            Ammonia is one example. There is significant interest in its potential as a marine fuel. But before it can scale, we need robust technical standards, operating experience, trained people and, above all, confidence that it can be handled safely.

23.            Today, I am pleased to announce the launch of the Technical Reference for Ammonia Bunkering. We will put the Technical Reference to the test through ammonia bunkering trials in Singapore.

a.            Under the Singapore-Australia Green and Digital Shipping Corridor, we will also work with the Pilbara Ports Authority to validate the Technical Reference and exchange lessons from our respective efforts.

b.            This collaboration will strengthen ammonia bunkering standards, enhance safety and operational assurance in both countries.

24.            The Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration is also launching its ammonia bunkering form for public consultation. As the first model contract of its kind globally, it will give buyers and suppliers a common basis for contracting, providing greater clarity and consistency as the market evolves. I encourage industry stakeholders, including maritime lawyers, to contribute their feedback.

25.            The same principle of preparing ahead of demand applies beyond ammonia. Different shipowners will make different choices, depending on their fleets, routes and commercial needs. While pathways such as ammonia and methanol mature, we are strengthening more readily available options – expanding LNG bunkering capacity and developing biofuels and biomethane. Our role is not to pick one winner, but to build capabilities that give industry credible choices.

26.            For LNG, we are already seeing this demand take shape.

27.            Singapore achieved a record 0.57 million tonnes of LNG bunker sales in 2025. In the first eight months of 2026, sales grew by a further 24% compared to the same period last year.

28.            To support this strong demand, MPA recently awarded eight new LNG bunker supplier licences to expand supply capacity and strengthen the ecosystem.

29.            Leveraging our LNG capabilities, we are also exploring biomethane as a lower-carbon pathway. MPA, CMA CGM and Singapore LNG Corporation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore how existing gas infrastructure and networks could support biomethane for maritime use.

30.            Later this week, Singapore will also conduct our first ethanol bunkering trial involving Maersk, Golden Island and PSA Singapore. Bioethanol will be bunkered using a mass flow meter while the vessel carries out simultaneous cargo operations.

31.            This is how we intend to build a dextrous resilient multi-fuel ecosystem – by progressively putting the pieces in place – standards and contracts, operational experience and infrastructure, supply chains and partnerships.

32.            In this way, whoever takes the podium, the ecosystem will be ready.

Steadfastness to Net Zero

33.            This brings me to the third part of our approach – our commitment to net zero domestically. The ambitions we champion internationally and for industry must be matched by concrete action at home.

34.            From 2030, all new harbour craft operating in Singapore port waters must be fully electric, capable of using B100 biofuel, or compatible with net-zero fuels. Earlier this year, the Harbour Craft Decarbonisation Taskforce, convened by MPA and our local shipping associations, developed recommendations to advance this transition. It identified electrification as a promising pathway, but highlighted that electric harbour craft still cost significantly more than conventional variants. Early adopters therefore face commercial risk and operational uncertainty.

35.            But every transition needs first movers. Without early adopters, there are no initial orders. Without orders, suppliers have no opportunity to scale. And without scale, costs remain high.

36.            This is why MPA is introducing the Early Adopter Scheme for Electric Harbour Craft, or EASE. The scheme will help defray some of the higher upfront costs for first movers and encourage early adoption while the market is still developing.

a.            The grant will provide support of $250 per kilowatt-hour of battery capacity for all new electric harbour craft, capped at $150,000 for smaller electric harbour craft and $250,000 for larger vessels.

b.            It will open for application in January 2027 and be available until Dec 2028.

37.            By helping first movers offset higher upfront costs, EASE will bring forward new orders and help build scale.

38.            We recognise that upfront support alone may not suffice. Over time, the transition to net zero may also require further regulations to encourage wider adoption. The Harbour Craft Decarbonisation Taskforce recommended a market-based measure to progressively drive the transition. We are studying this carefully, including whether further regulatory measures are needed to discourage conventional high-emissions fuels and support lower- or net-zero options.

39.            Together, these efforts will help our harbour craft sector move forward as Singapore pursues our decarbonisation goals.

Planning our route Together

40.            Our approach is straightforward. We will strengthen what shipping relies on today – reliable bunkering and efficient operations. We will prepare for what shipping needs tomorrow by building capabilities across different fuels.

41.            Government can create the conditions. It is the industry that holds the ingenuity, capital and operating know-how.

42.            Over the next two days, we can together explore this moment of possibility. Some of the solutions that the shipping industry will rely on tomorrow will begin with conversations in this room today.

43.            Ladies and gentlemen, today’s uncertainty is like driving in a new land without GPS. We’ve done this before – and many of us in this room will remember those days. Uncertainty did not paralyse us in the past, and it must not in the future.

44.            We can still travel at speed – by relying on our shared partnerships in the past, and our joint ambition for the future. I wish you all a productive and engaging SIBCON 2026.

45.            Thank you.