EMEA News
Malta Bunker Demand Sank by 20% in 2021
Bunker demand in Malta sank by 20.3% last year.
Pippo Pandolfino, CEO of local supplier Valletta Bunkers, revealed the figures during a panel session at the IBIA Mediterranean Energy and Shipping Conference in St Julian's on Thursday.
Total demand dropped by 20.3% to 2.059 million mt in 2021. Fuel oil sales dropped by 25.1% to 1.629 million mt, while gasoil gained 5.4% to 430,000 mt.
Malta's total volumes for 2021 were the lowest since 2017.
Unlike other bunkering locations, Malta did not see a drop in demand in 2020 with the outbreak of COVID-19; 2020's figure was the highest in at least a decade.
Malta's main competitor as a Mediterranean bunker port is Gibraltar. As well as bringing in cruise and passenger traffic, it benefits from its geographical position along the tanker route in between the Middle East and the US Gulf.
