Iberian Peninsula Set to Overtake Netherlands as Europe's Biggest LNG Bunker Hub in 2026

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday February 16, 2026

The Iberian Peninsula could overtake the Netherlands as Europe’s largest LNG bunkering hub in 2026 as supply volumes across Spanish and Portuguese ports continue to rise sharply, according to gas association Gasnam.

LNG supply to ships across Iberian ports has quadrupled in the past two years, reaching about 893,860 m3 in 2025, it said in a statement on its website on Thursday.

Rotterdam saw 992,911 m3 of conventional LNG bunker sales in 2025, up by 5.5% on the year, according to the Port of Rotterdam authority.  Bio-LNG sales rose to 17,644 m3 in 2025, up from 2,775 m3 in 2024.

Gasnam said the narrowing gap suggests the Peninsula is positioned to take the European lead in 2026 if current trends continue.

Unlike the Netherlands, where LNG bunkering is heavily concentrated in Rotterdam, Iberian supply is distributed across multiple ports, including Algeciras, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Gibraltar, Huelva, Malaga, Tenerife, Sines and Valencia.

This multi-port model has supported rapid expansion in ship-to-ship bunkering and improved operational flexibility for LNG-fuelled vessels.

Nine LNG bunkering vessels operated across the Peninsula in 2025, with a further four under construction, supporting growing demand from container ships, passenger vessels and car carriers calling at Iberian ports.

Bio-LNG uptake is also increasing, reaching close to a 12% share of the region’s marine gas supply mix last year.

Sales of LNG as a bunker fuel in Spain have more than quadrupled over the past two years.

Ship & Bunker News Team
To contact the editor responsible for this story email us at editor@shipandbunker.com