Ships bunkered ‘significantly less fuel’ in Rotterdam last year, says Port Authority

The Port of Rotterdam Authority recently published bunker fuel sales data for the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2023.

The Port Authority said maritime shipping bunkered significantly less fuel in Rotterdam last year; 9.9 million tonnes in 2023 compared to 10.6 million tonnes in 2022.

With that, the demand for fuel oil, marine gas oil and other fuels was 6.7% lower than in 2022. Only bunkering of LNG rose significantly, from 406,599 m3 to 619,243 m3. 

“This had everything to do with developments in the price of LNG. The demand for bunkers mixed with biofuels dropped from 790,851 tonnes to 751,638 tonnes in 2023. Biomethanol was bunkered for the first time, and that was on the Laura Maersk,” the port authority said on its website. 

“The decline is mainly caused by fewer sea-going vessels arriving in Rotterdam and because the price of bunker oil was temporarily more favourable in Singapore.”

“The Port of Rotterdam Authority and the Port of Antwerpen-Brugge Authority announced that by early 2026 all bunker vessels have to work with officially accepted bunker measurement systems. With this measure, the port authorities aim to make the ARA bunker market more transparent, efficient and reliable.”

The total volume of fossil bunker fuels delivered in Q4 2023 fell to 1,919,685 mt from 2,580,501 mt, down 25.6% year-on-year.

Deliveries of ultra low sulphur fuel oil, very low sulphur fuel oil, high sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil and marine diesel oil in Q4 2023 (against on year) recorded respectively 166,289 metric tonnes (mt) (-21.7%  from 212,410 mt), 681,573 mt (-33.3% from 1,022,036 mt), 643,218 mt (-23.5% from 841,247 mt), 213,408 (-28.2% from 297,388 mt) and 148,177 mt (-16.8% from 178,222 mt). 

Bio-blended variants of ultra low sulphur fuel oil, very low sulphur fuel oil, high sulphur fuel oil, marine gas oil, marine diesel oil and methanol in Q4 2023 (against on year) recorded respectively 21,974 mt (+239.4% from 6,474 mt), 185,309 mt (-21% from 234,465 mt), 9,704 (-51.8% from 20,140 mt), 13,469 mt (+106% from 6,533 mt), 2,151 mt (+12.4% from 1,914 mt) and 500 mt (+100% from 0 mt). 

Port data showed 148,933 m3 of liquefied natural gas (LNG) being delivered as a marine fuel in Q4 2023, a 154.1% increase from 58,599 m3 in Q4 2022. Methanol recorded no deliveries in Rotterdam for the whole of 2023. 

Related: MFM bunker measurement system to be mandatory in Antwerp-Bruges and Rotterdam
Related: TFG Marine: Mandatory MFM move in Antwerp-Bruges and Rotterdam is a ‘step in the right direction’
Related: Rotterdam keen to improve its bunkering sector, is hot on the heels of Singapore’s MFM mandatory adoption
Related: IBIA welcomes news of Rotterdam’s plans to mandate MFMs
Related: CE Delft releases report on bunker fuels supplied to Port of Rotterdam and Port of Antwerp-Bruges

Photo credit: Georg Eiermann on Unsplash
Published: 26 January, 2024