Port of Rotterdam reports 52 pct spike in demand for LNG

The demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) as bunker fuel in the Port of Rotterdam increased by 52 percent to 0.94 million cubic meters in 2024 from 0.62 million cbm bunkered in 2023.

The demand for LNG rebounded in 2024 to previous levels after a decline during the period of inflated gas prices, the port authority said.

Last year, maritime shipping bunkered 9.8 million tonnes of fuel in Rotterdam, a moderate decrease from 9.9 million tonnes in 2023. In 2024, the demand for fuel oil, marine gas oil, and other fuels was 0.9 percent lower than in 2023.

Following the inaugural bunkering of bio-methanol in the Port of Rotterdam in 2023, the demand for bio-methanol surged in 2024, reaching nearly 4,000 tonnes, a remarkable increase from 750 tonnes in 2023.

According to the port authority, the demand for bio-blended fuels in 2024 exhibited a clear dichotomy: a slight growth in the first half of the year, followed by a sharp decline in the second half. That was particularly evident in the demand for bio-blended very large sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), the largest of the bio-blends.

The increased availability of bio-blended fuels in Asia following the European Union’s imposition of anti-dumping duties on Chinese biofuel was the primary cause, as per the Port of Rotterdam. Nonetheless, the demand for bio-blends remained unchanged from 2023 at 750,000 tonnes.

Earlier this year, the EU imposed anti-dumping tariffs for limiting imports of ‘dubious’ used cooking oil (UCO) biofuels. Over the past two years, the European biofuels market has been flooded with UCO imports from China, causing a collapse in the market price from around €2,250 per tonne to €1,100, T&E earlier shared.

• Rotterdam on track to becoming truly sustainable port
• Sea-going ships test mobile shore power at the Port of Rotterdam