Straight-talking guides to how bunkering actually works — regulation, specifications, documentation and disputes. No fluff.
IMO Net-Zero Framework
Shipping's proposed global carbon price — the GHG Fuel Intensity standard, the two-tier pricing, the 2025 postponement, and what it means for bunker buyers.
CII and EEXI
Ship carbon intensity and rating explained — the A–E rating, the annual reduction factor, EEXI certification, and how it drives fuel choice.
Top Bunkering Ports by Volume
The 2024 league table of the world's largest bunker hubs — Singapore, Rotterdam, Fujairah, Zhoushan and the rest, with tonnage and growth.
Alternative Marine Fuel Uptake
What's actually selling — Singapore's 2024 breakdown of biofuel, LNG, methanol and ammonia bunker volumes, and what the mix means for buyers.
VLSFO–HSFO Spread
The Hi5 spread and scrubber economics — how it works, where it stands, and why it narrowed into 2026.
Marine Fuel Alternatives
Biofuel blends, LNG, methanol and ammonia compared — GHG benefit, availability, engine compatibility and the trade-offs.
Bunker Quantity Fraud & MFM
The cappuccino effect, short delivery, and how mass flow metering protects the buyer — including Singapore's mandatory MFM regime.
Fuel Stability & Cat Fines
Why VLSFO blends can sludge or damage engines — stability, compatibility and catalytic fines, the ISO 8217 limits, and how to protect machinery.
The India Bunker Market
How bunkering works in India — GST, duty-free foreign-going vs duty-paid coastal supply, the IOCL/HPCL/BPCL/Adani landscape, and where it's heading.
Singapore & the Malacca Strait
The world's largest hub at Singapore, plus Port Klang and Tanjung Pelepas — fuel availability, MFM, and when to bunker where.
The ARA Range
Rotterdam & Antwerp — Europe's refining heart. Deep fuel liquidity, barge delivery, EU ETS/FuelEU, and mandatory MFM from 2026.
Mediterranean & Gibraltar
Fast on-route fuelling at the Strait of Gibraltar — Gibraltar, Algeciras, Ceuta — plus Barcelona, Malta and Piraeus.
China — Zhoushan & Shanghai
China's fast-growing hubs and the bonded low-sulphur fuel market — why more owners are fuelling in China.
Middle East — Fujairah
The Gulf's storage and blending hub outside the Strait of Hormuz — Fujairah, Khor Fakkan, Jebel Ali, Sohar and Jeddah.
Northeast Asia
Busan & Hong Kong, plus Ulsan, Kaohsiung and Japan — the intra-Asia and transpacific fuelling points.
Panama & the Americas
Canal-transit bunkering at Balboa and Cristobal, plus Cartagena, LA/Long Beach, Houston and Santos.
Bunker Delivery Note (BDN)
The BDN is the primary regulatory document for a bunker delivery. What information is required, how to handle it, and…
Bunker Quantity Surveys
A quantity survey is a third-party witness to the bunker delivery. When they're worth paying for and what they…
The Bunkering Procedure
A practical overview of how a bunker delivery actually happens — from nomination to final quantity agreement — and…
EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime
EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime are transforming bunker economics on European voyages. The essentials of both regimes and…
Fuel Quality Testing
How fuel quality testing actually works — which labs, which tests, what the results tell you, and how they're used…
How to Choose a Bunker Supplier
Beyond price per tonne. The factors that separate a supplier who creates value from one who creates problems
IMO 2020 Sulphur Cap
The IMO 2020 regulation capped marine fuel sulphur at 0.50% globally — a transformation of the bunker market. What…
ISO 8217 Marine Fuel Specifications
ISO 8217 is the global specification standard for marine fuels. What the key parameters mean in practice and how to…