Rotterdam is Europe's largest bunker port. File Image / Pixabay

• Some barges at Rotterdam have licences on hold while MFM installation is arranged
• Technical standard alone will not deliver transparency
• European regulation limits the licence restrictions the port can impose

The Port of Rotterdam, Europe's largest bunkering location, sees collaboration in the market as a crucial element of making a success of its new rules on the use of mass flow meters (MFMs).

The port authority, along with its neighbours at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, has as of the start of 2026 made the installation of MFMs a mandatory requirement for having a licence to operate a bunker delivery vessel over 300 GT in size in its waters. 

This regulatory shift follows the precedent set by Singapore, which has mandated MFM deliveries for bunker operations since 2017.

MFMs are a more accurate measurement system for bunker deliveries than traditional methods, and their use is geared towards eliminating the bunker industry's longstanding quantity-dispute problem.

The transition to the use of MFMs at Rotterdam is not quite complete, with some delivery vessels currently unable to operate until the systems are installed, a spokesperson for the port authority told Ship & Bunker.

"All bunker barges which want to deliver conventional bunkers in Rotterdam are licensed," the spokesperson said.

"Some barges are still waiting on the installation or commissioning of the MFM, their license is suspended until the vessels are complying."

Beyond Regulation

For the new regime to be a success, a change of culture in the local market may be needed to accompany the regulatory change.

"I would like to emphasize that a transparent bunker market cannot be achieved by setting technical standards alone," the spokesperson said.

"It is essential that all parties in the bunker market also act in accordance with those standards and take responsibility in the bunkering process.

"By this, I mean for example that verifying whether procedures are being followed during a bunkering is of great importance.

"So, as a buyer of bunkers: hire a bunker surveyor. And as a barge operator: support the bunker surveyor in their work; show them the relevant values in the flow computer and ensure that the operational seals are in place.

"Only by working together can we make the bunker market truly transparent."

Bunkering Services Initiative

Not everyone in the local market has been confident that the new regulations have been formulated in a way that can deliver their stated aims. 

Some criticism has focused on the regulations not fully implementing the ISO 22192 specification for MFMs - similar to Singapore's SS 648 standard - into law. This raises the concern that some may be able to tamper with the meters.

At the end of last year a new project, the Bunkering Services Initiative, was launched by bunker market participants at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp hub with concerns about the current state of transparency in the market. All participants in the initiative commit to robustly-monitored barges with mass flow meters, digitalised deliveries and transparency on marine fuel quality.

While this initiative's launch may in part be read as a criticism of the current regulatory set-up in Northwest Europe, the Port of Rotterdam welcomes it, suggesting the BSI's standards cover areas where it approves of greater transparency but is not currently able to regulate.

"As Port of Rotterdam Authority we encourage these kind of initiatives, as they are aimed for more transparency and setting rules in which authorities may not step in to, due to legal restrictions," the spokesperson said.

"We are bound as regulators by European law, specifically the EU law on the MFM (the Measurement Instrument Directive (MID) and on maritime service providers, which is clear in what we may or may not regulate."

One issue with the BSI's launch is its potential to create a two-tiered market at the ARA hub, with those holding to the BSI's higher standards needing to offer bunkers at a noticeable premium to others in the market.

"We do not see this as a problem: if shipping companies want to bunker with a BSI supplier they may do so," the spokesperson said.

"The license may be seen as a minimum requirement, while complying with BSI can be seen as an extra."

Further Spread of MFMs

Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges are the latest port authorities to implement MFMs within their jurisdictions, but are unlikely to be the last.

The authorities at Fujairah have said they are looking into the possibility of setting a similar regulation, and South Korea is looking to introduce an MFM mandate as soon as 2027.

Having gone through this process recently, the Port of Rotterdam recommends other authorities allow sufficient time to make the change.

"It takes time to set up a license and to make the market ready for the change," the spokesperson said.

"In Antwerp-Rotterdam we did it in a relatively short time: two and a half years. Communication with the various stakeholders is key."