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Argus Media: Netherlands publishes RED III biofuels draft

Draft introduces a GHG emission reduction mandate for land, inland shipping and maritime shipping, but excludes aviation; RED III mandate will take effect in 2026.

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The Dutch government’s updated draft legislation to transpose the EU’s revised Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) notably proposes abolishing double-counting renewable energy contributions from Annex IX feedstocks.

24 June 2025

The draft introduces a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction mandate for land, inland shipping and maritime shipping, but excludes aviation — which was included in a previous draft. The RED III mandate will take effect in 2026.

Obligated parties have to fulfil the mandate by surrendering a sufficient amount of so-called emission reduction units (EREs) in each sector. The mandate’s flexible credit allowance allows EREs generated in the land sector to be used to partly meet emission reduction obligations in inland and maritime shipping (see table), but EREs from inland and maritime shipping cannot be used by land sector suppliers to fulfil their compliance requirements.

Fuel suppliers with overall consumption of more than 500,000 l/yr will need to incorporate a 14.4pc share of renewable fuels in their annual deliveries in 2026. This increases linearly, to reach 27.1pc in 2030.

The amount of crop-based biofuels in the land sector will be limited to 1.4pc of the overall energy content of total consumption until 2030, and will not be accepted towards targets in maritime and inland shipping and aviation.

The amount of Annex IX Part B biofuels — such as used cooking oil (UCO) and animal fats categories 1 and 2 — that can be counted towards the mandate will be limited to 4.29pc in the land sector and 11.07pc in inland shipping. Obligated parties will be unable to claim EREs from Annex IX Part B fuels used in maritime shipping.

The draft also introduces a minimum share of emission reductions that have to be achieved by Annex IX Part A and renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO), for all sectors.

RED III mandates that 5.5pc of all fuels supplied must be advanced biofuels, including at least 1pc RFNBOs by 2030. The Netherlands’ draft decouples these targets, to reduce investment uncertainty (see table).

Refineries that use renewable hydrogen in their production process can claim refinery reduction units — or RAREs — which can be used by a supplier to meet an RFNBO sub-target in various sectors.

Correction factor delay

The ministry will delay its plans to apply a “correction factor” of 0.4 to its “refinery route” stimulus for hydrogen demand, in order to ensure the measure does not undermine direct use of hydrogen in transport.

The correction factor means the value of emissions reductions credits generated through the use of renewable hydrogen for transport fuel production would be limited to a certain percentage of those generated through direct use of renewable hydrogen or derivatives in transport.

The government leaves the option open to impose a correction factor from 2030.

Although the EU Fuel Quality Directive increases the maximum share of bio-based components to 10pc in diesel, the Dutch government said fuel suppliers must continue to offer B7 — diesel with up to 7pc biodiesel — as a protection grade, because of the large number of cars incompatible with B10.

Companies will be able to carry forward any excess EREs to the next compliance year. Companies with an annual obligation can carry forward up to 10pc of the total amount of EREs needed to fulfil their obligation in a year, with registering companies allowed to carry forward 4pc. Dutch renewable fuel tickets (HBEs) carried into 2026 will be converted into EREs on 1 April 2026, the government said.

By Evelina Lungu and Anna Prokhorova

Note: The table on ‘Overview of future Dutch obligations’ can be viewed here

 

Photo credit and source: Argus Media
Published: 26 June, 2025

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Bunker Fuel

AD Ports Group and IRH Global Trading to advance bunkering at Khalifa Port

Both signed a MoU, outlining potential collaboration in bunkering services to vessels calling at Khalifa Port and the development of alternative bunker fuels such as LNG, biofuels, and methanol.

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AD Ports Group and IRH Global Trading to advance bunkering at Khalifa Port

AD Ports Group on Tuesday (30 June) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IRH Global Trading Ltd. to explore strategic cooperation in bunkering services and alternative marine fuels at Khalifa Port.

The MoU outlines potential collaboration across a range of areas, including the provision of bunkering services to vessels calling at Khalifa Port, the development of alternative fuel solutions such as Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), biofuels, and methanol, and the exploration of opportunities related to fuel storage infrastructure, terminal facilities, and fuel sampling and testing capabilities.

Saif Al Mazrouei, CEO, Ports Cluster – AD Ports Group, said: “This collaboration reflects our commitment to forging strategic alliances that create long-term, sustainable value. 

“By working alongside trusted partners such as IRH, we are enhancing our capabilities and supporting the development of future-ready infrastructure and services that reinforce the UAE’s position as a leading global trade and logistics hub, in line with the vision of our wise leadership.”

Ali Rashed Alrashdi, Group CEO – International Resources Holding, said: “This collaboration with AD Ports Group reflects IRH’s commitment to build strategic partnerships that drive real economic impact. 

“As we continue to develop our global energy trading platform, bunkering and alternative marine fuels represent a high-potential area of growth. We see Khalifa Port as an ideal base from which to explore these opportunities, and we look forward to working closely with AD Ports Group to bring them to life.”

Through this collaboration, AD Ports Group and IRH Global Trading aim to further enhance Khalifa Port’s value proposition as a multi-purpose, deep-water port that supports efficient, sustainable, and future-oriented maritime operations.

IRH Global Trading is a global commodities trading firm with interests across the mining and energy value chain and plans to build a diversified global minerals and energy trading platform, including LNG, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), crude oil, and petroleum products. 

 

Photo credit: AD Ports Group
Published: 1 July, 2026

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Biofuel

Arkas Bunker delivers 15,000 mt of biofuel in Turkey over two years

Seçkin Gül, General Manager of Arkas Bunker said during that period, the company supplied more than 15,000 mt of biofuel and achieved an emissions reduction of 14,500 mt.

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Arkas Bunker delivers 15,000 mt of biofuel in Turkey over two years

Turkey-based marine fuel supplier Arkas Bunker on Tuesday (30 June) said it has completed 60 biofuel bunkering operations across 32 different vessel types over the past two years in the country. 

Seçkin Gül, General Manager of Arkas Bunker said during that period, the company supplied more than 15,000 metric tonnes (mt) of biofuel and achieved an emissions reduction of 14,500 mt.

He said this during the Biofuels in Shipping seminar held in Istanbul, where the company and DB Tarımsal Enerji addressed the use of biofuels in shipping through the lenses of sustainability, technical compatibility, regulations, and field experience.

“The transition to low-carbon fuels in shipping is no longer a long-term goal—it is today’s priority. At Arkas Bunker, we view biofuel not merely as an environmental alternative, but as a solution that is compatible with existing vessel infrastructure, proven in real-world operations, and supportive of the sector’s compliance with regulations, Gül said. 

Drawing attention to the growing role of carbon intensity in vessel operations, Gül stated: “Carbon cost will increasingly influence a wide range of areas—from fuel selection to route planning, and from customer preferences to financing conditions. 

“For this reason, access to low-carbon fuels will not only be an environmental responsibility for the maritime sector, but also a key component of commercial competitiveness. Strengthening Türkiye’s capabilities in production, supply, and bunkering, as well as strengthening collaboration among producers, suppliers, and end-users, is of great importance for regional competitiveness.”

The seminar also highlighted Turkey’s potential to become a regional supply hub for low-carbon marine fuels.

“With its strategic geographic location, strong port infrastructure, advanced logistics network, maritime expertise, and domestic biofuel production capacity, Türkiye is well positioned to play a significant role across Mediterranean, Black Sea, and European trade routes,” the companies said. 

 

Photo credit: Arkas Bunker
Published: 1 July, 2026

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Alternative Fuels

ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: B100 premiums narrow for Singapore-EU voyages

Rotterdam B100 over $100/mt costlier than HSFO; Rotterdam LBM discounts to LSMGO widen; B100 premium over LSMGO drops to $39/mt in Singapore.

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ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: B100 premiums narrow for Singapore-EU voyages

Once a week, bunker intelligence platform ENGINE will publish a snapshot of alternative and conventional bunker fuel prices in the world’s two biggest bunkering hubs. The following is the latest snapshot:

  • Rotterdam B100 over $100/mt costlier than HSFO
  • Rotterdam LBM discounts to LSMGO widen
  • B100 premium over LSMGO drops to $39/mt in Singapore

Rotterdam B100’s premium over HSFO has widened by a further $35/mt to $103/mt over the past week.

On the other hand, its discounts to VLSFO and LSMGO have widened by $8/mt and $25/mt to $26/mt and $266/mt, respectively.

Singapore’s B100 has dropped slightly relative to conventional fuels. Its premiums over HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO have narrowed by $16-25/mt over the past week to $39-408/mt.

ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: B100 premiums narrow for Singapore-EU voyages

LNG premiums over liquefied biomethane (LBM) in Rotterdam have widened by $15/mt to $440-447/mt.

Rotterdam’s LBM discounts to LSMGO have widened by $56-58/mt to $595-796/mt, depending on the engine type.

Liquid fuels

Rotterdam’s HSFO price has fallen by $41/mt over the past week. Its VLSFO has edged up by $2/mt, while its LSMGO price has increased by $19/mt.

The port’s B100 has edged down by $7/mt. Dutch ZRE A ticket prices have remained unchanged for a third consecutive week amid a “lack of reported trades,” Prima Markets has noted.

Singapore’s conventional fuel prices have declined by $36-45/mt over the past week, while its B100 benchmark has fallen by a larger $61/mt

The port’s monthly B100 sales doubled from 6,500 mt in April to 13,000 mt in May, according to preliminary data from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.

Liquid gases

Rotterdam’s LNG prices have declined by $23-24/mt in the past week, driven largely by a 7% decline in LNG bunker premiums, which dropped from $134/mt to $125/mt. The front-month Dutch TTF Natural Gas contract has fallen by 2%, adding further downward pressure to LNG bunker prices.

Rotterdam’s LBM prices have fallen by $37-39/mt.

Singapore’s LNG prices have edged up by $8-9/mt. Resurging tensions in the Middle East, a Qatari gas facility explosion and rising LNG demand in Asia have added upward pressure on the prices.

LNG sales in Singapore jumped from 42,000 mt in April to a record 70,000 mt in May.

By Konica Bhatt

 

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 30 June, 2026

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