EMEA News
Rotterdam Bunker Sales Lost 5.5% Last Year But Stabilised in Q4
Bunker sales at Rotterdam, Europe's largest marine fuels hub, sank last year but had stabilised by the fourth quarter.
Total sales sank to 8.95 million cubic meters (cu m) last year from 9.475 million cu m a year earlier, the port authority said Thursday.
But in the fourth quarter bunker demand was little changed on the year at 2.268 million cu m.
Singapore, the world's largest bunkering hub, saw a 4.7% decline in bunker sales last year to 47.464 million mt.
No split is provided in the bunker data between high sulfur fuel oil and very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), but in a statement the port authority said VLSFO took up 62% of the fuel oil sold at the port in December.
The meteoric rise of LNG bunker demand at Rotterdam appears to have stalled at the end of last year, dropping to 9,197 mt in the fourth quarter from 11,075 mt in the third quarter.
But over the year LNG demand was still showing substantial growth, more than tripling to 31,944 mt.
The port has also seen growth in bunker fuels with a percentage of biofuel added, the port authority said, with these blends taking up 2% of fuel oil sales and 0.5% of distillate sales last year.
