Bunker sales at the Port of Rotterdam fell 25 per cent in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year, with fossil fuel oil recording the sharpest decline, down 28.3 per cent.
Volumes of Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO) dropped 46 per cent, High Sulphur Fuel Oil (HSFO) fell 24 per cent, and Ultra Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (ULSFO) declined 31 per cent.
By contrast, sales of alternative fuels rose 28 per cent, with demand for bio-LNG growing strongly.
The second quarter also saw the port’s first bunkering of bio-ethanol, a milestone the port said demonstrates the potential of alternative fuels to help reduce CO2 emissions in shipping.
While Rotterdam remains one of the world’s most significant bunker ports, recent months have shown a visible shift of bunker volumes toward other ports, with bunkered volumes in the second quarter again significantly lower than the same period last year, following a similar trend in the first quarter.
READ: Port of Rotterdam widens channel for next-gen containerships
The port attributed the decline in part to the implementation of the European RED III Directive in the Netherlands, which requires fuel suppliers to meet additional sustainability obligations, pushing up the cost of conventional bunker fuels relative to competing ports in the region.
Bunker volumes have also shifted to ports outside the ARA region (Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp-Bruges) as a result of regulatory and policy changes, while fluctuations in bunker prices, energy market uncertainty and shifting global trade routes have further influenced where operators choose to bunker and in what volumes.
The figures point to a broader recalibration of bunkering activity across Northwest Europe, as regulatory divergence between ports increasingly factors into operators’ fuel purchasing decisions.
For more information:
Port of Rotterdam – https://www.portofrotterdam.com/
