Singapore opens licensing for up to two LNG floating storage units

Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority has opened applications for licences to operate up to two LNG Floating Storage Units (FSUs) in the city-state's anchorages, each with a minimum storage capacity of 130,000 cubic metres. The move comes hard on the heels of MPA's award of eight new LNG bunker supplier licences in July 2026, and it signals that the world's largest bunkering port intends to keep pace with demand for gas-fuelled tonnage.

The two storage vessels are designed to complement that expanded supplier base. By diversifying LNG storage and reloading options at anchor, MPA aims to support the continued growth of LNG bunkering in Singapore while strengthening supply resilience — a concern that has grown as more carriers take delivery of dual-fuel container ships.

Who can apply, and on what terms?

Applications are open only to existing LNG bunker licensees, though these operators may partner with third-party terminal operators to bring in storage and operational expertise. The rules carry two commercial conditions that matter for the market.

First, most of each FSU's storage capacity must be allocated to LNG bunkering itself. Second, a minimum share of that capacity must be made available to other LNG bunker suppliers on open-access terms — a provision designed to prevent any single licensee from cornering floating storage in the anchorage.

For shipowners and charterers, the open-access requirement should translate into more reloading options and, in theory, more competitive pricing at one of Asia's principal marine fuel hubs.

What are the technical requirements?

Each applicant must own or charter at least one FSU with a minimum storage capacity of 130,000 cubic metres. To put that scale in perspective, 130,000 cubic metres of LNG is roughly the equivalent of seven standard 17,400-cubic-metre LNG bunker vessels — a single unit therefore represents a substantial injection of dedicated storage into the market.

The FSU must be registered with the Singapore Registry of Ships and must comply with MPA's safety and operational requirements. Operators must also disclose to MPA the maximum fees they intend to charge for LNG reloading services, giving the regulator visibility over pricing at the terminal level.

Each licence will run for five years.

How does the plan fit decarbonisation goals?

The requirements reach beyond conventional LNG. To support the decarbonisation of international shipping, each FSU must be certified under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification European Union framework, enabling the units to handle bio-LNG and e-LNG.

That certification requirement means the floating infrastructure will be ready to supply lower-emission LNG alternatives as they become more widely available, rather than locking Singapore into fossil LNG alone for the five-year licence term.

For carriers investing in dual-fuel fleets, the message from MPA is that Singapore expects gas-fuelled bunkering — and eventually its greener variants — to be a permanent, scalable part of its fuel mix.

The licensing window now determines how quickly that capacity arrives: prospective operators will need to secure tonnage meeting the 130,000-cubic-metre threshold, arrange ISCC EU certification and price their reloading services for regulatory scrutiny before Singapore's LNG storage landscape takes its next shape.