Rotterdam’s quarterly conventional bunker fuel sales slumped

Conventional sales fell 25%

VLSFO sales down 41%

LNG sales up 39%

Changes between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026:

• HSFO sales down by 186,000 mt to 619,000 mt
• VLSFO sales down by 306,000 mt to 440,000 mt
• MGO sales down by 42,000 mt to 361,000 mt
• ULSFO sales down by 57,000 mt to 162,000 mt
• LNG sales up by 34,000 mt to 120,000 mt
• Grey methanol sales unchanged at nil

First-quarter conventional bunker fuel sales in Rotterdam slumped 25% lower from the previous quarter, data from the Port Authority of Rotterdam shows.

Total fossil bunker fuel sales were at 1.7 million mt in January, February and March combined, which was the lowest since at least 2010.

VLSFO sales were hit the most, falling 41% lower from the previous quarter. HSFO sales fell by 23%, but it remained the most popular grade with 34% of the port's total bunker sales, including biofuel.

Total MGO sales fell by a smaller 10% on the quarter.

Sales also down the year

Rotterdam's total conventional sales were down by 27% compared to the same quarter last year.

VLSFO sales dropped by 44% from the first quarter of 2025, ULSFO by 13% and total MGO by 8%.

Effect of the conflict

Price volatility and uncertainty caused by the war in the Middle East may have curbed bunker demand in Rotterdam in March.

Rotterdam's port authority said the ramifications of the Strait of Hormuz blockage were not fully reflected first-quarter bunker figures, but they are expected to be more visible in the figures for the second quarter.

Meanwhile, Fujairah’s March bunker volumes were down 71% on the month.

LNG volumes surged

Notably, Rotterdam's LNG bunker volumes increased by 39% between last year's fourth quarter and this year's first quarter.

But LNG sales were only up 2% compared to the same period last year.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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