POMEME price rise drives B30-VLSFO gains in Rotterdam

Singapore’s B24-VLSFO UCOME remains steady

Bio-premiums over conventional fuels widen further

Rotterdam

The price of HBE-rebated B30-VLSFO in Rotterdam has gained $11/mt in the past week.

The biofuel bunker blend has drawn support from both fossil and biofuel price rises. ENGINE’s VLSFO benchmark has increased by $7/mt, while the POMEME CIF ARA barge price assessed by PRIMA Markets has risen by $16/mt.

Biofuel premiums in Rotterdam have widened by $4-9/mt over the past week. A B30-VLSFO HBE blend is now priced at $196/mt over pure VLSFO, while a B30-LSMGO HBE blend comes at a $154/mt premium over pure LSMGO.

The ARA region's B30-VLSFO UCOME price has gained by a similar $10/mt on the week, supported by a $16/mt increase in PRIMA’s UCOME barge assessment.

B30-VLSFO UCOME was indicated at $793/mt in Barcelona port earlier this week, an $11/mt premium over the ARA on that day. In Gibraltar, the same grade was indicated at $763/mt, an $11/mt discount to the ARA.

Singapore

Singapore’s B24-VLSFO UCOME benchmark has remained relatively stable, edging up by a modest $1/mt over the past week.

The slight gain has been supported by a $10/mt increase in the PRIMA-assessed UCOME FOB China cargo price. Any further upside has been offset by a $3/mt drop in Singapore’s VLSFO benchmark.

ENGINE’s freight estimate for UCOME shipments from China to Singapore has increased by $2.50/mt, reaching $16/mt.

Some traders have received UCOME FOB South China offers at around $1,150/mt, with a few reporting more fuel enquiries, according to PRIMA. This could suggest that “Asian bio-bunkering demand may be picking up after a period of weaker activity,” it added.

B24-VLSFO UCOME was indicated in the UAE ports of Fujairah ($725/mt) and Khor Fakkan ($718/mt) earlier this week, around $37-44/mt costlier than Singapore.

Other bio-bunker news

ENGINE has received indicative prices for B30-VLSFO UCOME in Argentinian upriver ports. At $1,119/mt, this price level is significantly higher than in Rotterdam and Singapore. Last year, a source told ENGINE that sustainable bio feedstocks like UCOME have faced sourcing challenges in Argentina due to limited availability and infrastructure.

The nearest ports offering biofuel bunkering around Argentina are in Brazil, such as in the ports of Rio Grande and Açu.

Cosco Shipping’s subsidiary Piraeus Container Terminal has announced the start of biofuel bunkering at the Port of Piraeus in Greece. However, specific details such as blending ratios and available bio-bunker grades have not yet been disclosed.

Danish shipping firm Norden will allocate carbon credits to tech major Microsoft. These will be generated from GHG reductions achieved from Norden's biofuel-powered voyages, using a book-and-claim mechanism.

British energy firm Greenergy has temporarily suspended operations at its biodiesel plant in Immingham on the UK’s east coast. Greenergy has been one of the primary producers of waste-based biodiesel in Europe and was acquired by global commodity trading firm Trafigura in July 2024.

By Konica Bhatt

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