Fuel Switch Snapshot: Gas fuels slip under LSMGO for diesel SS engines

LNG (diesel SS) swings to $78/mt discount to LSMGO

LNG (Otto MS) premium over LSMGO narrows to $28/mt

B100 flips to $50/mt premium over HSFO in Rotterdam

All bunker prices described in the text below have been adjusted for calorific content to make them VLSFO-equivalent. They have estimated EU-EU voyage compliance costs included for Rotterdam, and nonEU-EU compliance costs included for Singapore. These account for EU ETS costs and FuelEU Maritime penalties, and the average price of compliance surpluses we have picked up from the FuelEU pooling market over the past week.

LNG burnt in diesel slow speed (diesel SS) engines has flipped from a $94/mt premium over LSMGO in Rotterdam to a $78/mt discount, as Rotterdam’s LNG prices have fallen by $200-201/mt depending on engine type, while LSMGO has dipped by $28/mt.

Liquefied biomethane (LBM) has swung the same way for diesel SS engines, from a $137/mt premium over LSMGO, to a $26/mt discount, as LBM prices have fallen by $190-192/mt depending on engine type.

For vessels with Otto medium speed (Otto MS) engines, both gas fuels still cost more than LSMGO, but by far less. LNG (Otto MS)’s premium has narrowed by $174/mt to $28/mt, and LBM (Otto MS)’s by $164/mt to $85/mt.

LNG (diesel SS) had been cheaper than LSMGO in Rotterdam all year, apart from a few days around the turn of the month, as the chart above shows.

B100 has flipped from a $79/mt discount to HSFO in Rotterdam, to a $50/mt premium over it, and B30-VLSFO from a $12/mt discount to a $90/mt premium. HSFO has slumped $133/mt lower, while B100 has dipped by $4/mt and B30-VLSFO has fallen by $30/mt.

Liquid fuels

Rotterdam’s HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO prices have fallen by $28-133/mt over the past week, with HSFO down the most. B30-LSMGO has fallen by $17/mt.

Dutch ZRE A tickets have fallen by €20/mtCO2e ($22/mtCO2e) to €215/mtCO2e ($240/mtCO2e) over the past week, Prima Markets said.

Fuel availability has been tight in Rotterdam, with buyers advised a notice of around 5-7 days ahead, a trader said.

In Singapore, HSFO, VLSFO and LSMGO prices have fallen by $25-181/mt, with HSFO down the most. B100 has fallen by $158/mt and B30-VLSFO by $204/mt.

Front-month ICE Brent futures have fallen by $14.52/bbl ($106/mt) to $93.95/bbl ($689/mt) over the past week. Dec26 EUA prices have dropped by $2.56/mtCO2e to $97.28/mtCO2e.

OceanScore’s FuelEU pooling index has held at €80.45/mtCO2e ($90/mtCO2e) over the past week.

Liquid gases

Rotterdam’s LNG bunker premium over TTF has narrowed over the past week.

TTF has slumped as US President Donald Trump has taken a cautious stance on resuming military strikes against Iran, and as the US midterm election results have fuelled hopes that the Middle East war could end soon, the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) said.

Singapore’s LNG prices have fallen by $161-162/mt, depending on engine type.

Singapore’s LNG bunker prices have come under pressure as suppliers in the port compete with Chinese LNG bunker locations, a supplier told ENGINE. JKM fell for most of the week as signs of progress in US-Iran talks and the US midterm results eased worries over Middle East supply, JOGMEC said.

By Erik Hoffmann

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