Singapore opens applications for LNG floating storage unit licences to ‘strengthen supply resilience’

[SINGAPORE] The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) on Thursday (Nov 12) opened applications for licences to operate up to two liquefied natural gas (LNG) floating storage units (FSUs) in Singapore’s anchorages. Each licence will be valid for five years.

The move follows MPA’s award of eight new LNG bunker supplier licences in July.

The new FSUs will expand LNG storage and reloading options for suppliers, support the growth of LNG bunkering in Singapore and “strengthen supply resilience”, MPA said.

Applicants may include existing LNG bunker licensees and may partner third-party terminal operators for storage and operational expertise.

The applicants must own or charter at least one FSU with a minimum storage capacity of 130,000 cubic metres. The vessel must be registered with the Singapore Registry of Ships and comply with MPA’s safety and operational requirements.

Most of the FSU’s storage capacity must be allocated to LNG bunkering, with a minimum portion made available to other LNG bunker suppliers on open-access terms.

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FSU operators must also disclose to MPA the intended maximum fees chargeable for LNG reloading services and be certified to handle bio-LNG and e-LNG under the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification EU framework.

“This will enable the infrastructure to support the supply of these lower-emission LNG alternatives as they become more widely available,” MPA said. Bio-LNG is produced from organic waste, while e-LNG is synthesised from hydrogen and carbon dioxide.

MPA will hold a briefing for interested companies on Dec 4. Applications must be submitted by 5 pm on Feb 4, 2027.