Image Credit: Ship & Bunker / Data Credit: Port of Rotterdam

• Rotterdam’s conventional and biofuel sales fell 24.9% year on year to 5.28 million mt in the first nine months of 2026, with RED III likely contributing to the decline.
• Q3 conventional and biofuel bunker sales rose 4.7% quarter on quarter to 1.84 million mt but fell 21.1% year on year.
• Q3 biofuel blend sales dropped 29.8% year on year to 139,442 mt, while year-to-date volumes rose 3.5%.
• Q3 LNG bunker sales fell 35% year on year to 215,420 mt, while bio-LNG sales climbed to 23,613 mt.
• Rotterdam’s average Q3 VLSFO price was $670/mt, up from $484.50/mt a year earlier.

Europe's largest bunker hub, Rotterdam, has recorded a sharp decline in bunker sales this year, with the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III) in the Netherlands likely contributing to the drop.

The port’s conventional and biofuel bunker sales totalled 5.28 million mt for the first nine months of this year, down 24.9% from 7.02 million mt recorded for the same period last year, according to data released by the Port of Rotterdam on Thursday.

On a quarterly basis, the port saw 1.84 million mt of conventional and biofuel bunker sales in Q3, down 21.1% from last year but up 4.7% from the previous quarter.

Quarterly Conventional Fuel Sales Breakdown

Conventional VLSFO sales totalled 427,347 mt in Q3, down 32.8% from last year but up 21.6% from the previous quarter.

Q3 HSFO sales declined 13.4% from a year earlier to 754,853 mt, although they were 7.1% higher than volumes in the previous quarter.

ULSFO sales totalled 165,318 mt in Q3 – down 29% from last year but up 34.2% from Q2 volumes.

MGO sales were up 9.5% on the quarter to 291,852 mt in Q3, while MDO sales were down 11.8% to 57,155 mt.

The Netherlands has implemented the RED III at the start of January, requiring fuel suppliers to reduce the GHG emissions of their fuel pool by at least 2.9% by the blending in marine biodiesel blends derived from Annex IX-A feedstocks, and this has prompted suppliers to add the cost of compliance with this regulation to their prices.

Belgium, by contrast, may not implement RED III until as late as the start of 2027, meaning Antwerp's current advantage over Rotterdam may last a full year.

Biofuel Blends Sales Down in Q3

Biofuel blend sales totalled 139,442 mt in the third quarter, down 29.8% from last year and 41.9% lower compared to 239,875 mt of biofuel blends sold in Q2.

However, a total of 483,947 mt of biofuel blends were sold in the first nine months of this year, up 3.5% from 467,772 mt sold in the same period last year.

LNG Sales Drop in Q3 While Bio-LNG Sales Up

215,420 mt of LNG bunker sales were recorded in Q3, down 35% year-on-year and 21.1% from Q2 sales.

On a year-to-date basis, 755,935 mt of LNG was sold in the first nine months of this year, down 5.6% from 800,478 mt sold in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, bio-LNG sales totalled 23,613 mt in Q3, compared to 7,506 mt in the previous quarter and 970 mt last year.

Biomethanol Sales Grew in Q3

4,166 mt of biomethanol was sold in Q3, up from 2,845 mt in the previous quarter.

No bioethanol sales were recorded during the quarter, compared to 1,025 mt sold in Q2.

Prices

Rotterdam’s VLSFO price averaged $670/mt in Q3 2026, down from $704.5/mt in Q2 2026 but up from $484.5/mt in Q3 2025, according to Ship & Bunker price data.

Ship & Bunker's G20-VLSFO Index of average prices across 20 leading bunkering ports was $810/mt in Q3 2026, compared to $856.5/mt in the previous quarter and $537/mt last year.