Caroline Yang, CEO of Hong Lam Marine Pte Ltd, outlines her plans for IBIA Asia in her first interview with Manifold Times since becoming Chair of the Regional Board – Asia : MT: Why is IBIA important to the bunkering market in Asia? IBIA Asia is amongst five regional boards operating under the umbrella of London-based IBIA Global. Its presence in Asia is vital because the region, excluding the Middle East, accounts for more than 50% of global bunkering volume. While Singapore continues to maintain its strong lead as the world’s busiest bunkering port with almost 56 million mt of marine fuel delivered in 2025, several ports in China are showing to be strong bunkering ports as well; these developments take place on the back of a forecast for China to be amongst the leading suppliers of green fuels such as methanol. Based on this alone, IBIA Asia has to play an important role in raising and addressing issues of suppliers and shipowners and the other parties in the regional bunkering eco-system. MT: What is the overall state of bunkering standards at major Asian ports and how can IBIA elevate this? Singapore is the clear leader in standards, acting as a “flag bearer” with established protocols including SS 600 for bunkering, SS 648 for bunker mass flow metering, SS 524 for quality management of bunker supply chain, TR 56 for LNG bunkering, and TR 80 for meter verification using master MFM. While other Asian ports are adopting mass flow meters – a positive step – IBIA Asia’s role is to disseminate these best practices while maintaining deep respect for local operational realities and regulatory environments. MT: As Chair of the Regional Board – Asia, what are your plans to make this happen? Are there any topics you will be focusing on? The IBIA Asia regional board of 10 members from comes from a diverse group of suppliers, shipowners, bunker buyers, fuels testers and bunker tanker owners. Backed by a strong secretariat, we are committed to move the needle for bunkering