Biofuel Bunker Snapshot: B30-blend prices sharply down on the week

B30-VLSFO prices drop after wide-ranging indications last week

Rio Grande premium over Rotterdam up by $73/mt

Singapore biofuel bunker sales jumped 53% in 2025

Europe

Rotterdam’s B30-VLSFO (POMEME) benchmark has declined by $60/mt in the past week. This steep fall has come despite rising biofuel and VLSFO prices.

Prima Markets’ assessed ARA POMEME barge price has gained $22/mt over the same period, while ENGINE's benchmark for Rotterdam's conventional VLSFO grade has edged $8/mt higher.

Instead, B30-VLSFO's slump is a result of a wide spread in B30-VLSFO prices gathered at the beginning of last week. The spread between the highest and lowest indication on 5 January was over $50/mt.

The prices are recalibrating as the market adjusts to pricing under the Netherlands’ newly introduced ZRE compliance framework.

The sharp drop in Rotterdam's B30-VLSFO has narrowed its price premium over conventional VLSFO price by $68/mt to $229/mt over the week.

Antwerp’s B30-VLSFO (UCOME) price has fallen $22/mt lower over the week, while Gibraltar’s B30-VLSFO (UCOME) price has fallen by $17/mt. Antwerp’s B30 blend is at a $48/mt discount to Gibraltar’s.

Rotterdam’s discounts to Antwerp and Gibraltar have slipped by $38-43/mt over the week. But Rotterdam still prices it $95/mt lower than in Antwerp, and $143/mt lower than in Gibraltar.

Unlike in Antwerp or Gibraltar, Rotterdam’s B30 prices are rebated by suppliers that can generate ZRE units from renewable biofuel bunker sales.

Deliveries of bio-blends and B100 in Rotterdam can require around 7-10 days of lead time and suppliers operate with varying minimum quantities.

Several suppliers offer bio-blended bunkers in Gibraltar, but buyers are recommended to enquire with a lead time of at least 10 days.

Certain suppliers are also delivering biofuel blends by barge and by truck at Istanbul and other Turkish ports with a lead time of at least a week. 

South America

Rio Grande’s B30-VLSFO price has been an outlier this week, gaining around $13/mt. Consequently, its premium over Rotterdam’s B30-VLSFO price has increased by $73/mt. Rio Grande’s price is now almost at par with Antwerp’s, compared to a $36/mt discount observed last week.

Only B24-VLSFO is offered in Rio Grande, and the B30-VLSFO price used here is converted using the port's B24-VLSFO and pure VLSFO prices as value references.

Fujairah and Singapore

Fujairah’s blend price has slumped $58/mt lower since last week. The sharp fall has narrowed its premium over the port’s conventional VLSFO price by $79/mt to $268/mt in a single week.

Singapore has seen a comparatively less pronounced $29/mt drop. Consequently, Fujairah’s premium over Singapore has almost halved to $27/mt.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s biofuel bunker sales jumped 53% higher last year, climbing to a record 1.35 million mt, a steep rise compared to 883,000 mt bunkered in 2024.

BP, Chevron, Maersk, SK Energy and Vitol Bunkers were Singapore’s top five biofuel bunker suppliers in 2025.

Bio-bunker news from the past week

Chimbusco says it delivered 170,000 mt of marine biofuel blends in China last year. That was almost four times more than what the company delivered in 2024.

A harbour craft owned by Singapore-based shipbuilding firm Pinnacle Marine has run 1,000 hours on B100 bunkered in Singapore over a trial period.

To understand the Netherlands’ new ERE compliance system under RED III and its implications for Dutch fuel prices, read our in-depth explainer here.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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