SIBCON 2026: Equatorial Marine Fuel Expects LNG Bunker Demand to Climb From 2028
One of Singapore's largest bunker suppliers will use part of its 2026 profits to expand into LNG, with its first new LNG bunker barge due in 2027.
Equatorial Marine Fuel Management, one of Singapore's top bunker suppliers by volume, plans to channel part of its 2026 profits into supplying liquefied natural gas to ships, executives told Reuters on the sidelines of SIBCON 2026, as reported by The Straits Times.
Positioning for 2028
The company was one of eight suppliers awarded an LNG bunker licence in late July and is in talks with LNG cargo suppliers and shipowners. Its first newbuild LNG bunker barge is due in the later part of the third quarter of 2027. Executive director Choong Zhen Mao said: "The opportunity that we see in LNG still seems to be growing, even in this climate."
Equatorial expects demand to rise from 2028 as more LNG supply capacity and dual-fuel ships come online. Singapore's LNG bunker sales reached 487,100 tons in January–September 2026, up more than 21% year on year, while biofuel demand has slowed amid delays to the IMO net-zero framework.
The bigger picture
Singapore supplies an average of 4.7 million tonnes of bunker fuel a month this year. Ship & Bunker described SIBCON as the world's largest bunkering event, with more than 80 speakers. Competition among licensed suppliers and traders — from Equatorial to newer entrants such as Alkagesta — is likely to intensify as the fuel mix widens. More in our Singapore bunkering coverage.
Sources
Sources
- Equatorial eyes higher LNG bunker demand from 2028 — The Straits Times
- SIBCON 2026: Delegates Gather in Singapore — Ship & Bunker
Sofia Nazarova
Energy Transition Lead
Sofia tracks alternative marine fuels, carbon policy and the commercial case for lower-carbon supply chains.
