EMEA News
Rotterdam ULSFO Bunker Sales Expected to Hit Almost 1 Million MT in 2016
C.J.A. (Niels) Groenewold, CEO of the VT Group, says Rotterdam sales of so-called "ultra low sulfur fuel oil" (ULSFO) are expected to hold consistent in 2016 with levels seen during 2015, which saw about 800,000 to 900,000 metric tonnes (mt) sold, Platts reports.
Sales of 0.10 percent maximum sulfur ULSFO - which meet Emissions Control Area (ECA) regulations that came into force on January 1, 2015 - are reported to have been at about 55 percent of the volume of marine distillates sold in Rotterdam during 2015.
The combined sales of ULSFO and distillates are said to account for about a quarter of total bunkers sold at the port during the year.
Groenewold says he does not expect to see a considerable difference between MGO and ULSFO sold in 2016 as compared to 2015 because most operators have made up their minds on their preference.
It is reported that Rotterdam's sales of ECA compliant fuel reached 2.4 million mt in 2015, a figure that is said to be consistent with the lower range estimates of the 2013/2014 combined sales of MGO and fuel oil with a maximum 1.0 percent sulfur content fuel oil, to meet the earlier ECA standard.
As Ship & Bunker reported in January, sales of low sulfur gas oil and diesel at the Port of Rotterdam "almost tripled" from 1.8 million m3 in 2015, compared 0.7 million m3 during the previous year.
