The Port of Rotterdam recorded a decrease in bunker volumes of marine fuels in 2024 to 9.8 million tonnes, down 0.9% from 2023. At the same time, demand for fuel oil, marine gasoil and other types of fuel decreased, while the LNG market showed significant growth. The volume of LNG bunkering amounted to 0.94 million m³, an increase of 52% compared to 2023, when only 0.62 million m³ were bunkered. The recovery in LNG demand is due to the stabilization of prices after their sharp increase.
The bio-methanol market, which was first bunkered in the Port of Rotterdam in 2023, showed particularly noticeable growth. In 2024, demand for this fuel reached 4,000 tonnes, more than five times higher than in 2023 (750 tonnes). At the same time, the biofuel blends market developed unevenly: in the first half of 2024, there was growth, but in the second – a sharp decline, especially in the bio-VLSFO segment.
The main reason for the decline in demand for biofuels was the increase in their availability in Asia after the introduction of anti-dumping duties on Chinese biofuels by the EU. As a result, the total bunkering volume of biofuel blends remained at the 2023 level – 750,000 tons.