Alternative Fuels

ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: VLSFO holds firm

High demand and low stocks make VLSFO resilient to Brent; rising concerns of supply disruption drive LNG prices higher; bio-bunker premium over conventional VLSFO narrows further.

Published

2 years ago

April 23, 2024

Admin

ENGINE on Fuel Switch Snapshot: VLSFO holds firm

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:

High demand and low stocks make VLSFO resilient to Brent
Rising concerns of supply disruption drive LNG prices higher
Bio-bunker premium over conventional VLSFO narrows further

Rotterdam’s price premium of LNG over HSFO has increased by $7/mt to $9/mt, after a modest rise in the price of LNG in the past week. HSFO remains the cheapest fuel alternative in Rotterdam.

When the estimated EU ETS cost is included in the bunker fuel costs for voyages between the EU and a non-EU port, Rotterdam LNG’s $4/mt discount to HSFO has flipped to a $4/mt premium in the past week. For a ship sailing from Rotterdam to another EU port with estimated EU ETS costs included, LNG now has only a $1/mt price advantage over its HSFO, compared to $9/mt the week prior.

LNG’s discount to B24-VLSFO in Rotterdam has narrowed even further by $18/mt in the past week, even when estimated EU ETS costs are added to the price. Rotterdam’s LNG is priced at $210-221/mt discount to its B24-VLSFO.

Rotterdam’s B24-VLSFO premium over pure VLSFO has dropped even further by $13-14/mt over the past week, to $87-109/mt.

VLSFO

Rotterdam’s VLSFO benchmark has inched lower by $1/mt in the past week, despite a $30/mt decline in front-month ICE Brent futures. When the price of Dec24 EU Allowances (EUAs) for voyages between two EU ports is added to the VLSFO price, the overall price decreases by $5/mt.

VLSFO demand in Rotterdam has remained steady in the past week, sources told ENGINE. Two traders have reported strong VLSFO demand in the port. Availability is mostly normal, but securing the grade for very prompt dates (0-2 days) can be difficult, the sources added.

The ARA region’s independently held fuel oil stocks have averaged 5% lower so far this month than across March, according to Insights Global data.

Steady demand in Rotterdam and a drop in the wider ARA region’s fuel inventories seem to have supported the benchmark’s resistance against Brent’s downward pull.

Singapore’s VLSFO benchmark has seen a modest $3-5/mt decrease in the past week, depending on whether the price is adjusted with the estimated EUA price for a voyage to an EU port.

Demand for bigger VLSFO stems seems to have increased in Singapore. ENGINE recorded 15 VLSFO stems in Singapore in the wide price band of $634-653/mt. Three 1,500 mt stems were priced in the lower price band between $634-648/mt and seven 500-1,500 mt stems were priced between $643-649/mt.

Biofuels

Rotterdam’s B24-VLSFO HBE bunker price has moved $15-18/mt lower in the past week, to $719-790/mt, depending on whether the fuel is estimated to be consumed on a voyage to an EU port or not.

PRIMA-assessed palm oil mill effluent methyl ester (POMEME) in the ARA dropped by $72/mt on the week, which has put downward pressure on bio-bunker prices in Rotterdam. POMEME-based biofuels are eligible for Dutch advanced biofuel (HBE) rebates.

Singapore’s B24-VLSFO UCOME bunker price has inched only $2-3/mt lower to $761-796/mt.

Prompt bio-bunker availability is tight in Singapore, two sources say. This has partly prevented prices of the most sought-after biofuel blend, B24-VLSFO UCOME, from dropping steeply in the past week.

LNG

Rotterdam’s LNG bunker benchmark has remained roughly steady in the past week.

Concerns that European LNG supply could be disrupted if the Middle East conflict escalates further and the possibility of a Hormuz Strait blockade by Iran have kept the price afloat. The Strait of Hormuz plays a crucial role in LNG transportation. Qatar alone accounts for around 20% of global LNG trade passing through this choke point.

Singapore’s LNG bunker prices has seen a significant rise of $35-37/mt in the past week. This is because the NYMEX Japan/Korea contract rolled from May to a higher-priced June contract last week, which has raised the JKM benchmark.

By Konica Bhatt and Erik Hoffmann

Photo credit and source: ENGINE
Published: 23 April 2024

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Alternative Fuels

MOL inks bio-LNG bunker fuel supply deals with Titan and Axpo for car carriers in Europe

Titan, part of Amsterdam-based Molgas, will continue to supply bio-LNG fuel in Northwest Europe, while Axpo will take charge of supply in the Mediterranean region.

Published

2 days ago

June 19, 2026

Admin

MOL inks bio-LNG bunker fuel supply deals with Titan and Axpo for car carriers in Europe

Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) on Thursday (18 July) said it has signed new supply agreements in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean region to expand the use of bio-LNG marine fuel on MOL-operated LNG-fuelled car carriers.

Titan, part of Amsterdam-based Molgas, will continue to supply bio-LNG fuel in Northwest Europe, while Axpo will take charge of supply in the Mediterranean region.

MOL said the agreement makes it possible for its company to supply bio-LNG fuel for automobile carriers in the Mediterranean region, specifically Port of Malaga and Barcelona in Spain, following the bio-LNG fuel supply agreement in Western Europe, which commenced in March last year.

The bio-LNG fuel to be supplied in this initiative has a lifecycle carbon intensity (carbon dioxide emissions per unit of energy consumption) of -15 g-CO2/MJ or less, from production through consumption. Furthermore, this bio-LNG fuel has obtained International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC-EU).

“Through this supply agreement, MOL has established a framework that ensures a continuous and stable supply of bio-LNG fuel not only in Northern Europe but also in the Mediterranean,” the company said.

As part of the group’s efforts to adopt alternative fuels and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is utilising LNG-fuelled vessels as a bridge solution to facilitate the transition to carbon-neutral fuels such as bio-LNG and synthetic LNG (e-methane).

In 2025, MOL signed a bio LNG fuel supply agreement in Northwest Europe with Titan, part of the Molgas, and MOL has continued this bio LNG fuel supply agreement with the same company in 2026 as well.

Photo credit: Mitsui OSK Lines
Published: 19 June, 2026

Biofuel

Kvasir Technologies lands EUR 10 million to scale bio bunker fuel production

The Danish biofuel startup raised the fund in a Series A investment round, which will provide capital to develop and design a new commercial production plant and scale climate-neutral drop-in marine fuel.

Published

2 days ago

June 19, 2026

Admin

Kvasir Technologies lands EUR 10 million to scale bio bunker fuel production

Danish biofuel startup Kvasir Technologies on Thursday (18 June) said it has raised EUR 10 million (USD 11.4 million) in a Series A investment round with participation from European Energy as a new investor, alongside existing investors EIFO, Maersk Growth and Footprint Fund.

The Series A round provides capital to develop and design a new commercial production plant and scale climate-neutral drop-in fuel to be used in existing vessels.

At the same time, European Energy and Kvasir Technologies are entering into a strategic partnership by establishing the company KVEEN Biofuels, which is working towards the construction of a commercial-scale plant to produce biofuels using Kvasir Technologies’ patented technology.

“This investment round enables us to take the next crucial steps in developing and scaling our technology. At the same time, it underlines that there is still strong support for solutions that can deliver real climate impact in the maritime sector,” said Joachim Bachmann Nielsen, Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and CEO of Kvasir Technologies.

Kvasir Technologies, a spin-out from research at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), has developed a new technology to convert a wide range of non-edible lignin- based residues from agriculture and forestry into refined biofuels for shipping.

The climate-neutral biofuel can serve as an immediate replacement for fossil marine fuel without the need to modify ship engines or change existing infrastructure.

The new funding will be used, among other things, to scale the technology at Kvasir Technologies’ test facility in Fredericia, which can produce up to 2 metric tonnes (mt) of biofuel per day.

At the same time, development work will begin on the first commercial plant in the city of Aabenraa in the southern part of Jutland, which will demonstrate the technology on an industrial scale.

Photo credit: Kvasir Technologies
Published: 19 June, 2026

Engine

BeHydro secures LR’s first class approval for 100% hydrogen marine engine

Engine has been developed and tested at ABC Engines’ facility in Ghent and is designed to operate entirely on hydrogen, without the need for pilot fuels.

Published

2 days ago

June 19, 2026

Admin

BeHydro secures LR’s first class approval for 100% hydrogen marine engine

Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) on Wednesday (17 June) said it has issued the first Type Approval Certificate for a 100% hydrogen-fuelled, spark-ignited marine engine.

The approval has been awarded to the hydrogen engine developed by BeHydro and confirms the design meets LR’s requirements for safety, performance and reliability in marine applications.

The engine has been developed and tested at ABC Engines’ facility in Ghent and is designed to operate entirely on hydrogen, without the need for pilot fuels. This simplifies system design and removes onboard carbon emissions at source, positioning the technology as a practical option for operators exploring zero-carbon propulsion.

Claudene Sharp-Patel, Global Technical Director, Lloyd’s Register, said: “The issue of this Type Approval Certificate demonstrates that hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engine technology is continuing to mature as a viable option for maritime applications.

“For shipowners and operators, independent certification is essential in building confidence that emerging fuel technologies can meet the industry’s expectations for safety, reliability and operational performance.”

Tim Berckmoes, CEO at ABC Engines, said: “This LRS type approval of our BeHydro 100% hydrogen engines with zero emissions is a confirmation of the future proof technology that BeHydro can offer to innovative shipowners worldwide.

“The 100% hydrogen engine range is available from 900 kW till 2670 kW for different marine applications.”

LR previously awarded Type Approval to BeHydro for its hydrogen-powered dual-fuel engine in 2023, which was the first Type Approval for a dual-fuel hydrogen engine.

Photo credit: Lloyd’s Register
Published: 19 June, 2026