EMEA News
Rotterdam: Lube Sales Rise, Annual Bunker Sales Dip Under 10 Million MT
Annual bunkers sales in Rotterdam have dipped under 10 million metric tonnes (mt) for the first time in several years.
Official data indicates sales of 9,790,414 m3 for all products last year, comprising 8,255,467 m3 fuel oil, 1,387,913 m3 for MGO and 147,035 m3 for MDO.
Last year sales totalled just over 10 million mt, having been relatively flat between 10 and 10.8 million mt since 2013, down from the recent high of 12.1 million mt sold in 2012.
Lubricant sales for 2017 rose 3.5% year on year to 99,677 m3, their highest since the 100,429 m3 sold in 2012.
While Rotterdam has recorded steadily falling bunker sales in recent years, some have suggested it is simply a result of customers bunkering at other ports in the Amsterdam - Rotterdam - Antwerp (ARA) region rather than there being an overall decline for the key European market.
However, verification of this is difficult as Amsterdam and Antwerp do not publish official bunker sales data.
