Biofuel Bunker Snapshot: Conventional VLSFO price drop weighs on B30-VLSFO

Rotterdam's B30-LSMGO price rises with conventional LSMGO

Second-quarter bio-bunker sales surged in Rotterdam

ZRE A ticket price sharply up

Europe

Rotterdam’s B30-VLSFO (POMEME) price has dropped $23/mt in the past week, most probably pressured by a $17/mt drop in the Dutch port’s conventional VLSFO price.

The B30-LSMGO price in the port has edged $11/mt higher to $1,375/mt, supported by an increase in the port’s LSMGO price.

B100 is priced at $1,354/mt, down $33/mt in the past week.

Prima Markets-assessed POMEME and UCOME barge prices have inched $1/mt higher during the week to $1,798/mt and $1,728/mt, respectively.

Separately, Rotterdam’s bio-bunker sales surged 44% year-on-year in the second quarter to 247,000 mt, and surpassed Singapore’s bio-bunker volumes for the first time since 2024, the port authority’s official data showed.

Bio-VLSFO sales dominated with a 59% share of total biofuel volumes and an 8% share of total bunker volumes in the Dutch port.

Bunker supplier Burando Energies claimed to have supplied 30% of all bio-blended bunker fuel volumes sold in the port during the first half of the year.

The increase in bio-bunker volumes can be attributed to mandate-driven requirements and incentives to bunker biofuels in the EU, according to Prima Markets analyst Ulrich Arnheiter.

"The compression of bio-bunker premiums during the quarter, when biofuel premiums in relation to fossil marine fuel prices were shrinking, was also a supportive factor," Arnheiter said.

The Netherlands domestically implemented RED III in January. Under the new law, Dutch marine fuel suppliers are incentivised to supply low-carbon advanced biofuel in the country’s ports, through the issuance of tradeable ZRE A tickets, which can be monetised by sale to conventional bunker suppliers.

The price of these tickets has increased €25/mtCO2e ($29/mtCO2e) on the week to €130/mtCO2e ($150/mtCO2e).

Meanwhile, Gibraltar’s B30-VLSFO (UCOME) price has dropped just $14/mt and offers a $48/mt premium over Lisbon’s B30-VLSFO.

Lisbon’s B30-LSMGO is priced at $1,517/mt, a $142/mt premium over Rotterdam's.

B100 in Lisbon has dropped $51/mt in the past week to $1,784/mt.

Asia

Singapore’s B30-VLSFO (UCOME) price has dropped $105/mt in the past week.

The port’s conventional VLSFO price has declined by a smaller $34/mt.

This has narrowed the port's B30-VLSFO price premium over conventional VLSFO by $71/mt in a single week.

The Prima Markets-assessed UCOME China cargo price, which directly influences the port’s blend price, remains unchanged at $1,215/mt.

In other biofuel bunker news, Brazil's national energy agency has launched a public consultation on a draft resolution proposing to permit up to 100% biofuel (B100) for routine marine bunkering, law firm Mayer Brown said.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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