Greater fuel oil sales raise Antwerp-Bruges bunker volumes

Antwerp-Bruges' bunker sales totalled 2 million mt in the second quarter, up 3% from a year earlier, port data shows.

Bunker sales were down by 2% between the first and second quarters. Antwerp-Bruges surpassed Rotterdam in the first quarter to become the world's second-largest bunker port.

Antwerp-Bruges port operations in the second quarter were disrupted by pilot strikes and an oil spill related to a bunkering operation.

Over the first half of the year, the port's bunker volumes were broadly flat compared to the first half of last year.

The war in the Middle East contributed to tighten availability of blending stocks across all ARA ports, and increased bunker delays during the second quarter.

HSFO was the highest-selling fuel grade in Antwerp-Bruges in the second quarter, making up around 32% of all volumes. Sales of the fuel grade increased by 12% on the year in the second quarter to 659,000 mt.

VLSFO was the second-highest sold fuel grade with a 26% share, and its sales rose 13% year-on-year to 538,000 mt.

ULSFO sales surged 44% year-on-year to 165,000 mt. Their share of total bunker volumes edged up from 6% to 8% over this period.

ULSFO bunker volumes have grown across Europe after the Mediterranean Emission Control Area (MedECA) was implemented in May last year, enforcing a 0.10% sulphur limit on fuel burnt on Mediterranean routes.  

Combined fuel oil sales, which also includes unspecified fuel oil sales, increased by 13% year-on-year to 1.6 million mt in the second quarter, the data shows. Fuel oil sales made up 78% of total second-quarter volumes.

Gasoil sales were at 336,000 mt in the second quarter. That was 1% down from the first quarter and 23% down from the second quarter last year.

Gasoil's share of total bunker volumes fell to 16% in the second quarter, from 22% in the same quarter last year.

Around 77,000 mt of LNG was bunkered in the port during the second quarter, which was down 13% from the same quarter last year.

When comparing the first half of this year to the same period last year, LNG bunker sales were up 42%.

Meanwhile, biofuel bunker volumes in Antwerp-Bruges dropped 36% on the year to 27,000 mt in the second quarter.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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