Maritime shipping bunkered slightly less fuel in Rotterdam in 2024, totaling 9.8 million tonnes compared to 9.9 million tonnes in 2023, a 0.9% decrease, according to the Port of Rotterdam's release.
Despite this overall decline, demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) saw a significant rebound. LNG bunkering volumes reached 0.94 million m3 in 2024, a 52% increase from the 0.62 million m3 bunkered in 2023. This resurgence in LNG demand follows a period of decreased activity due to high gas prices.
Bio-methanol bunkering also experienced substantial growth, rising to nearly 4,000 tonnes in 2024 from 750 tonnes in 2023. This increase follows the first bio-methanol bunkering in the port of Rotterdam in 2023.
The demand for bio-blended fuels presented a mixed picture. While there was slight growth in the first half of 2024, a sharp decline followed in the second half, particularly for bio-blended very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO). This shift is attributed to increased availability of bio-blended fuels in Asia after the European Union imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese biofuel. Overall, bio-blend demand remained stable at 750,000 tonnes, unchanged from 2023.