APAC ports emerge as testbeds for bunkering pilots despite scale-up limits

Methanol and ammonia trials advance across Singapore, Shanghai, and Yokohama amidst system strain.

Ports in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region are emerging as testbeds for port readiness and bunkering pilots as early methanol and ammonia bunkering pilots advance across the region, even as infrastructure gaps limit scale-up.

An Accelleron report said Singapore has carried out live methanol bunkering trials and conducted the first live ammonia bunkering operation.

Authorities are also assessing an end-to-end ammonia value chain project that would support 55 to 65 megawatts of electricity generation and at least 100,000 tonnes a year of ammonia bunkering.

The city-state functions as a regional distribution hub, focusing on fuel receiving, blending, and distribution.

Shanghai is the first and only port licensed for ship-to-ship green methanol bunkering. China has also installed onshore power supply systems across more than 90 ports.

Busan, South Korea, and Yokohama, Japan, are preparing for ammonia bunkering under national energy strategies. Both countries prioritise ammonia use in power generation, which supports land-based demand ahead of maritime use.

Yokohama is advancing its Carbon Neutral Port initiative with 121 public-private projects.

The report groups APAC ports into three functional roles. Australia and China operate as production and export-source ports, with sites such as Port Hedland, Dampier, and Qingdao aligned with hydrogen-based fuel production linked to renewable energy clusters.

Japan and South Korea function as import and industrial-use ports, including Kawasaki, Kobe, Ulsan, and Gwangyang, which focus on supplying ammonia, hydrogen, and methanol to steel, power, and chemical sectors.

Singapore and Malaysia operate as connector ports that focus on distribution and multi-fuel bunkering.

The report identifies bunker vessel scarcity as a constraint on the deployment of ammonia and methanol fuels.

Most pilot activity in China relies on trailer-to-ship transfer due to limited availability of specialised bunker barges.

It also highlights operational readiness as a limiting factor. Safety frameworks, trained personnel, and standard procedures lag behind pilot activity.

Smaller and secondary ports face constraints in funding, space, and technical capacity to support alternative fuel systems.

The report notes that early investment faces economic limits due to uncertain maritime demand, which reduces incentives for large-scale infrastructure build-out.

Ports across the region align development with national hydrogen and ammonia strategies. Japan’s ammonia-for-power programme supports early storage investment at ports such as Yokohama before full maritime demand develops.

Book-and-claim systems are being developed in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Australia to allow shipping operators to purchase carbon attributes of fuels without physical delivery at the same port. The system aims to address distribution gaps during early deployment.

The report also highlights green corridor development, including routes such as Australia–Singapore–China, which link planned hydrogen-based fuel production with potential maritime bunkering demand.