Total bio-bunker sales up 56% on the quarter

Bio-LNG demand at all-time high

Bio-ULSFO demand nearly triples

Changes in Rotterdam's bio-bunker sales between the first and second quarters of 2025:

• Bio-VLSFO sales up by 19,000 mt to 68,000 mt
• Bio-HSFO sales up by 10,000 mt to 38,000 mt
• Total bio-MGO sales up by 16,000 mt to 34,000 mt
• Bio-ULSFO sales up by 16,000 mt to 25,000 mt
• Bio-methanol sales down by 1,500 mt to 4,000 mt
• Bio-LNG sales up from nil to 2,000 mt

Suppliers in Rotterdam delivered a total of 171,000 mt of bio-bunker fuels in the second quarter, a 56% gain on from the first quarter.

Biofuel demand is now on a path to recovery after slumping to a four-year low of 110,000 mt in the first quarter. It peaked at 236,000-263,000 mt in the first two quarters of 2024.

Barring bio-methanol, whose sales declined by 28%, sales of all biofuels increased in the second quarter.

Just under 7% of all the bunker fuel sold in Rotterdam was either pure biofuel or biofuel blended with conventional fuels. That was up from 5% in the first quarter, but it was still some way off the 10-11% highs in the first two quarters of 2024.

The most notable trends in the last quarter were surges in bio-LNG and bio-ULSFO sales. A record 2,000 mt of bio-LNG was sold after nonexistent demand in the first quarter. Bio-ULSFO sales nearly tripled to hit a one-year high.

Bio-LNG has become more attractive as it qualifies for a zero carbon factor in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and has a low greenhouse gas intensity (GHG) towards FuelEU Maritime, which can help shipowners claw back some of the extra money they spend on the fuel.

There is also voluntary demand for low-emission fuels such as bio-LNG from container liners and car carriers who can pass off the extra cost to cargo owners like IKEA or BMW.

A growing dual-fuel LNG fleet can also drive up the demand for bio-LNG. There are currently 725 LNG-capable ships in operation, which are also capable of running on bio-LNG. This is 104 vessels more than at the end of 2024.

By Samantha Shaji

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