HSFO tops Rotterdam bunkering volumes in 2025

HSFO accounts for 35% of all bunkers sold

ULSFO, LSMGO sales increase in 2025

LNG volumes slump 42% in fourth quarter of 2025

Changes in Rotterdam’s conventional fuel sales from 2024 to 2025:

• HSFO sales up by 91,000 mt to 3.4 million mt
• VLSFO sales down by 227,000 mt to 2.9 million mt
• MGO sales up by 108,000 mt to 1.6 million mt
• ULSFO sales up by 117,000 mt to 865,000 mt
• LNG sales up by 23,000 mt to 447,000 mt
• Grey methanol sales unchanged at nil

HSFO recorded the highest sales among the fuels sold at Rotterdam in 2025, accounting for around 35% of the port's total bunker sales, according to Rotterdam Port Authority data. Total conventional fuel sold were around 9.2 million mt in 2025.

Suppliers at the Dutch port sold around 3.4 million mt of HSFO in 2025, up 3% from 2024.

Even though VLSFO sales fell around 7% in 2025, the grade was the second most sold fuel at the port. At 2.9 million mt, it made up around 29% of all the volumes sold in the port.

VLSFO demand strengthened toward year-end, with sales rising 17% in the fourth quarter.

ULSFO sales jumped 16% to 865,000 mt, accounting for 9% of all volumes sold. MGO sales rose 7% to about 1.6 million mt, representing around 16%.

The Mediterranean Emission Control Area (MedECA) entered into force in May 2025, enforcing a 0.1% sulphur cap on fuels burned by ships operating in the region. This supported demand for lower-sulphur fuels such as LSMGO and ULSFO, while weighing on demand for 0.5% sulphur VLSFO.

LNG bunker sales in Rotterdam rose 5% on the year to around 447,000 mt, despite a sharp 42% drop in sales in the fourth quarter. LNG also accounted for roughly 5% of total bunkering volumes in the port in 2025.

Notably, the port authority revised Rotterdam’s LNG sales figures for all quarters of the year.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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