Image Credit: Ship & Bunker / Data Credit: Port of Antwerp-Bruges

• Antwerp-Bruges conventional and biofuel bunker sales rose 3% year on year to 6.04 million mt in the first nine months of 2026.
• Sales were around 15% higher than Rotterdam’s 5.28 million mt.
• Q3 sales rose 12.7% year on year to 2.08 million mt, with VLSFO and HSFO volumes increasing.

Port of Antwerp-Bruges bunker sales increased year on year in the first nine months of 2026, with volumes 15% higher than Rotterdam’s volumes over the same period.

Around 6.07 million mt of conventional marine fuels and biofuels were sold at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in the first nine months of this year, up 3.5% from 5.87 million mt sold in the same period last year, according to data published by the port authority last week.

By comparison, Rotterdam saw 5.28 million mt of conventional and biofuel bunker sales in the first nine months of this year. The implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III) in the Netherlands have contributed to the decline.

Belgium, by contrast, may not implement RED III until early 2027. This could allow Antwerp-Bruges to maintain its sales advantage over Rotterdam.

Quarterly Bunker Sales and Product Breakdown

Port of Antwerp-Bruges sold 2.08 million mt of bunker fuels in Q3 2026, up 4.04% from the previous quarter and 12.7% from Q3 2025.

HSFO sales totalled 630,706 mt in Q3 2026, down 4.3% from previous quarter but up 17.7% from last year.

VLSFO volumes increased 25.7% from a year earlier to 674,713 mt and 25.4% higher quarter-on-quarter. Q3 VLSFO sales were the highest since Q4 2024.

ULSFO sales climbed 13.9% year-on-year to 159,663 mt in Q3 2026, while were 3.2% lower from the previous quarter.

Unspecified fuel oil sales reached 249,211 mt, up 7.1% from a year earlier and 3.5% from the previous quarter.

Gasoil sales totalled 348,957 mt in Q3 2026, up 2.3% from last year, but remained 4.7% from the previous quarter.

Marine biofuel sales totalled 13,459 mt in Q3 2026 – the lowest since Q4 2025. This is down 75.8% year-on-year and 49.8% from previous quarter.

LNG, which this article counts separately from conventional marine fuel and biofuel sales, accounted for 74,499 mt in Q3 2026, up 8.1% from last year and down 2.6% from the previous quarter.

No methanol sales have been recorded since Q3 2024.