Bunker sales in the port of Rotterdam fell by 25.1% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier, according to data released by the Port of Rotterdam Authority.

The decline was most pronounced in fossil fuel oil, which dropped by 28.3%. Within that category, very-low-sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) recorded the steepest fall at 46%, followed by ultra-low-sulphur fuel oil (ULSFO, down 31%) and high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO, down 24%).

In contrast, alternative fuels bucked the trend, with sales rising 28% over the same period. Demand for bio-LNG grew particularly strongly, according to the port authority. The second quarter also saw the first bunkering of bioethanol at Rotterdam — an event that the port authority says "demonstrates the potential of alternative fuels to aid in the reduction of CO₂ emissions in shipping."

The port authority attributed the overall decline in volumes to several converging factors. A key driver, it said, is the implementation of the European RED III Directive in the Netherlands, which requires fuel suppliers to meet additional sustainability obligations. The port noted that this is driving up the cost of conventional bunker fuels at Rotterdam relative to competing ports in the region.

Bunker volumes have also shifted to ports outside the ARA region — Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges — as a result of operational changes driven by regulations and policy, according to Port of Rotterdam Authority. It added that fluctuations in bunker prices, uncertainty in the energy market and developments in global trade routes have further influenced where and how much fuel operators are purchasing.

Rotterdam remains one of the world's busiest bunker ports, but the data indicates that competitive pressures are reshaping purchasing patterns across the region. As in the first quarter of 2026, second-quarter bunkered volumes were materially lower than in the equivalent period of 2025, with the port posting sales of 1.883m tonnes in Q2 2026 compared with 2.457m tonnes during the prior-year period.