Biofuel Bunker Snapshot: Antwerp’s B30-VLSFO premium over Rotterdam narrows

Antwerp’s B30-VLSFO price decreased more steeply than Rotterdam’s

Gibraltar faces another weather-related disruption

Singapore’s B30-VLSFO discount to Fujairah doubles

Europe

Rotterdam’s B30-VLSFO (POMEME) price has dipped modestly in the last week, while Antwerp’s B30-VLSFO (UCOME) price has seen a much steeper fall.

A $9/mt fall in the port’s conventional VLSFO price could have added some downward pressure on Antwerp’s price.

The decline in prices at both ports is despite Prima-assessed ARA POMEME and UCOME barge prices increasing by $27/mt in the past week.

Consequently, Antwerp’s B30-VLSFO price now holds a $67/mt premium over Rotterdam, narrowing considerably from a $90/mt observed last week.

Unlike Antwerp’s B30-VLSFO (UCOME) price, Rotterdam’s B30-VLSFO (POMEME) price is rebated by Dutch suppliers who can generate ZRE units from renewable biofuel bunker sales. 

Separately, the data from the port authority of Antwerp-Bruges said suppliers sold a total of 151,000 mt of bio-bunkers in 2025. Biofuel sales slowed down towards the end of the year, when a 80% quarterly drop in sales was seen.

Meanwhile, Gibraltar’s B30-VLSFO (UCOME) price has also slipped $20/mt in the past week. The port is facing fresh disruptions with the Gibraltar Port Authority suspending all operations, shipping agent A Mateos & Sons said.

The port is facing winds of around 40 knots and waves higher than 2 metres. Suppliers are already facing backlogs from previous disruptions and around 26 vessels currently await bunkers at the port, port agent MH Bland said.

South America

Rio Grande’s B30-VLSFO price has slipped around $10/mt over the last week. Its premium over conventional VLSFO price has dipped $5/mt during the same period.

The port’s B30-VLSFO is trading at an $82/mt premium over its VLSFO price.

Separately, Brazil’s state-controlled energy major Petrobras announced that its headquarters will be closed for bunker sales activities from 16–18 February due to the Carnival holiday.

Fujairah and Singapore

Singapore’s B30-VLSFO price has fallen by $24/mt in the last week, almost four times more than the difference in Fujairah’s B30-VLSFO price from last week.

As a consequence, Singapore’s discount to Fujairah has almost doubled to $36/mt over the same period.

A $19/mt fall in Singapore’s conventional VLSFO price has probably weighed on the blend’s price.

Prima-assessed UCOME China barge price, which is closely connected to the blend’s price, has remained unchanged during the period.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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