Business

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

Demand for fuel oil, marine gas oil and other fuels was 6.7% lower than in 2022 while only bunkering of LNG rose significantly, from 406,599 m3 to 619,243 m3.

Published

2 years ago

January 26, 2024

Admin

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.

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

Up Next

Headway Technology Group hosts seminar on low carbon solutions in Singapore

Don't Miss

Mabanaft to supply TUI Cruises with green methanol bunker fuel

Legal

Singapore withdraws remaining 127 charges against Hin Leong founder OK Lim

Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges on 17 July.

Published

14 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Founder of collapsed oil trader Hin Leong Trading, Lim Oon Kuin, also known as OK Lim, has had the remaining 127 charges against him withdrawn, according to The Straits Times on Monday (20 July).

OK Lim was issued a stern warning and a district court granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal for these charges, including those for cheating, on 17 July. The discharge means Lim cannot be prosecuted again for the same offences.

Lim, 84, is currently serving a 13½-year prison sentence after the High Court reduced his original 17½-year jail term in March 2026. He was convicted in 2024 on two cheating charges and one count of abetting forgery in a case prosecutors described as one of Singapore’s most serious trade finance frauds.

Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.

He was first charged in court on 14 August 2020, and was subsequently handed further charges in court on 25 September 2020, 30 April 2021 and 24 June 2021 for his role in perpetuating fraud on various financial institutions.

A total of 130 charges were eventually brought against him for cheating and forgery-related offences.

Photo credit: Sora Shimazaki
Published: 21 July, 2026

Winding up

Singapore: Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd to be wound up voluntarily

Coastal Logistics was reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

Published

14 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

Several resolutions for Coastal Logistics Pte Ltd were made during an extraordinary general meeting held on 14 July, according to a notice in the Government Gazette on Friday (4 July).

The following resolutions were duly passed during the meeting:

As Special Resolution

That it has been proved to the satisfaction of the meeting that the Company cannot by reason of its liabilities continue its business and accordingly the Company be wound up voluntarily pursuant to Section 160(1)(b) of the Insolvency, Restructuring and Dissolution Act 2018 (No. 40 of 2018);

As Ordinary Resolutions

that Mr. Wong Pheng Cheong Martin and Ms. Koay May Yee, both care of FTI Consulting (Singapore) Pte Ltd, One Raffles Quay, #27-10 South Tower, Singapore 048583 be appointed as the joint and several Liquidators of the Company for the purpose of such winding up; and
that the Liquidators be at liberty to open, maintain and operate any bank account(s) or account(s) for monies received by them as Liquidators with such bank(s) as they deem fit; and
that a Committee of Inspection will not be formed.

Manifold Times previously reported Nicholas James Gronow, director of Heng Tong Fuels & Shipping and Coastal Logistics, filed statutory declarations for both companies stating the firms cannot continue their businesses due to liabilities.

Both companies were reportedly affiliated with troubled Singapore bunker player Coastal Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd.

In 2019, several vessels owned by both firms entered the sale & purchase (S&P) market in Singapore.

Photo credit: Drew Beamer
Published: 21 July, 2026

LNG Bunkering

PIL’s LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on LNG and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Published

14 hours ago

July 21, 2026

Admin

PIL's LNG dual-fuel boxship “Kota Elok” arrives in Singapore on maiden call

Singapore-based Pacific International Lines Pte Ltd on Monday (20 July) said its first 13,000 TEU LNG dual-fuel container vessel, Kota Elok, recently made her maiden call to Singapore on 15 July.

As the first of 13 new 13,000 TEU vessels joining its fleet, Kota Elok is equipped to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and low-sulphur fuel oil that helps reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

The vessel also incorporated energy-saving features and digital technologies to reduce fuel consumption and enhance operational performance, as well as a bow windshield to improve aerodynamics, contributing to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions over the course of long-haul voyages.

“Following Singapore, Kota Elok will continue her voyage on our East Coast Service 1 (ES1) route to South America, calling at ports in Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina before returning to Asia,” the company said in a social media post.

Kota Elok also became PIL’s first vessel to receive Lloyd’s Register certification for compliance with the IACS UR E26 and UR E27 cyber security requirements.

Developed by the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), UR E26 and UR E27 are mandatory cyber resilience requirements for newbuild vessels contracted from 1 July 2024.

Photo credit: Pacific International Lines
Published: 21 July, 2026