Marine Link
Monday, March 31, 2025
SUBSCRIBE

High Sulphur Fuel Oil News

12 Feb 2025

Marine Fuel Sales Soar After Red Sea Diversions

Copyright Kalyakan/AdobeStock

Global marine fuel sales jumped in 2024 after attacks by Yemen's Houthis starting in late 2023 prompted most shipping companies to divert vessels around southern Africa rather than through the Red Sea, according to data and analysts.Singapore bunker volumes logged fresh highs of 54.92 million metric tons in 2024, or about 955,000 barrels per day (bpd), while sales at United Arab Emirates' Fujairah posted the first annual uptick after a downtrend for several years.Rotterdam marine fuel sales rose 12% in the first quarter of 2024 to 2.16 million tons, or about 38,000 bpd from the previous three

16 Dec 2024

NW Europe Fuel oil Imports at 3-year High

A rush to replenish scarce supply of high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) pushed Northwest European imports of residual fuel oil to their highest in three years in November, analysts told Reuters.The Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) area, Europe's main trading and refining hub, received around 450,000 barrels per day (bpd) of all types of fuel oil in November, the highest monthly volume since November 2021.That compared with an average of 332,000 bpd over January-October this year, according to trade analytics firm Kpler.Residual fuel oil is one of the key products refined from crude oil and is widely used in the maritime and construction industries.

03 Oct 2024

Singapore High-sulphur Bunker Fuel Premiums Soar

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

Spot premiums for 380-cst high-sulphur marine fuel at Singapore, the world's largest bunker hub, have surged due to the tight supply available for prompt deliveries, market sources said.The price strength for the fuel, which is used to power ships, has been keeping refuelling costs high for vessels calling at Singapore and other ports in the region.Delivery dates in the first half of October could command premiums of over $60 a metric ton to Singapore cargo quotes this week, the highest in 2024 so far for a delivered pricing basis…

19 Aug 2024

Vessel Bunker Fuel Sales Hit 3-Month High in Fujairah

Copyright Cleop6atra/AdobeStock

Marine fuel sales at the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah recovered to a three-month high in July, latest data showed.Sales volumes at the world's third-largest bunkering port, excluding lubricants, totalled 621,679 cubic metres (about 616,000 metric tons), based on Fujairah Oil Industry Zone (FOIZ) data published by S&P Global Commodity Insights.The bunker sales inched 1.8% higher in July after sliding for three consecutive months, but were down 5.7% from the same month last year.Broader refuelling demand picked up at key bunker ports such as Singapore and Fujairah after crude and bunker prices

01 Jul 2024

New Fuel Restrictions for Ships in Arctic Fall Short, Green Groups Say

© Nightman1965 / Adobe Stock

Ships sailing through Arctic waters will no longer be able to use or carry heavy bunker fuel oil under a United Nations shipping agency regulation which took effect on Monday.Yet environmental groups say the ban does not go far enough in geographic scope or addressing dirty black carbon emissions from ships, which can darken white ice and speed up the melting wrought by climate change. The ban, adopted in 2021 by the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO), aims to prevent…

01 Mar 2024

US Gulf Coast Fuel Oil Imports Hit Five-year Low

© scandamerican / Adobe Stock

Imports of fuel oil bound for the U.S. Gulf Coast fell to a five-year low last month as refiners ran more cheap, heavy Canadian crude and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East pressured fuel oil flows.Fuel oil deliveries to the Gulf Coast dwindled in February to just 318,000 barrels per day (bpd), a 20% drop from the prior month and marking their lowest level since February 2019, data from tanker tracking firm, Kpler showed.Heavy fuel oil feedstocks like high sulfur fuel oil…

27 Sep 2023

NRL Plans to Boost Low-sulphur Fuel Oil Output for Ships

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

Pakistan National Refinery Limited (NRL) has started producing very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) for ships and is planning to expand its monthly output by at least five-fold in six months, the company said late Tuesday.The company is producing about 2,000 metric tons of VLSFO per month, with the monthly volume likely to increase to 10,000 tons to 12,000 tons over the next six months, NRL told Reuters in an email.NRL announced the production of VLSFO in a notice to the Pakistan Stock Exchange earlier this week, stating that this comes after a "necessary change in crude mix and adjustments in pr

26 Sep 2023

Value Maritime Installs First Filtree System for Ardmore Shipping

(Photo: Value Maritime)

Value Maritime announced it has completed the first in a series of nine installations of its emissions reducing Filtree systems for product and chemical tanker company Ardmore Shipping Corporation.Taking place in China, this was the first time that Value Maritime has installed its system outside of Europe. The Ardmore Seaventure is also the first Ardmore vessel now fully equipped with Value Maritime’s Filtree system. The remaining installations for Ardmore Shipping are scheduled…

14 Jun 2023

Singapore May Bunker Sales Hit over 5-year High as Vessel Arrivals Spike

Credit: joyt / AdobeStock

-Monthly sales of marine fuel, also known as bunker fuel, hit over five-year highs at the world's largest refuelling hub Singapore in May as vessel arrivals spiked amid firm container throughput, official data showed on Wednesday.Singapore's bunker sales are an indicator of sentiment at one of the world's major ports and demand also affects fuel oil refining margins in Asia. Sales extended gains for a third consecutive month to 4.52 million tonnes, up 6.2% month-on-month, Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority data showed.

13 Apr 2023

Record High Container Order Book Signals 'Significant Change'

“Despite the collapse in freight rates, shipowners still have an appetite for new container ship orders and the order book has continued to grow. The record high order book of 7.54 million TEU will result in significant changes to the container fleet in the coming years,” says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.During the last 10 quarters, 8.61 million TEU has been contracted, matching the level contracted during the preceding 30 quarters. The order book has now increased for 10straight quarters…

21 Feb 2023

Decarbonization Center Finishes Two Trials for Biofuel Bunkering

The Global Center for Maritime Decarbonization (GCMD) has completed trials on two supply chains of biofuel blends for vessel bunkering, the center said on Tuesday.The maritime industry has been trying to source for green fuels to reduce carbon emissions ahead of the International Maritime Organization's 2030 and 2050 decarbonization targets. Biofuel bunkering is gaining traction in Singapore, with more than 90 biofuel bunkering operations completed last year, according to Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority.The trials were part of a $18 million global biofuels bunkering project launched by the GCMD in July last year, which is expected to span 12 to 18 months.The two trials took place from Oct. 31 to Feb.

18 Nov 2022

Fujairah Bunker Sales Slide 2% in October

© Mariusz / Adobe Stock

Marine fuel sales at the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah, the world's third-largest bunkering hub, slid 2% month-on-month in October as demand slowed.Total sales volumes at Fujairah, excluding lubricants, were at 655,126 cubic metres (about 627,000 tonnes) in October, showed latest data from the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone published by industry information service S&P Global Commodity Insights.The decline was led by a fall in low-sulphur bunker fuel sales, including low-sulphur fuel oil and marine gasoil.

13 Sep 2022

Singapore Bunker Fuel Sales Steady in August

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

Marine fuel sales at the world's largest bunkering hub Singapore held steady at 4.12 million tonnes in August, with the number of vessel arrivals for bunkering little changed, official data showed Tuesday.Sales for low-sulphur marine fuels were steady to higher from the previous month, though total monthly sales were weighed down by a slight decline in high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO). "HSFO bunker volumes were lower, potentially due to the two-month suspension of Glencore's bunkering license in Singapore…

20 Jul 2022

Fujairah Bunker Fuel Sales Fall to Four-month Low

© vladsv / Adobe Stock

Marine fuel sales at the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah, third largest bunkering hub in the world, fell to a four-month low in June as high bunker premiums and tight supplies capped uptake.Total bunker sales volumes were down 13% month-on-month at 647,184 cubic meters (about 619,602 tonnes) in June, based on latest data from the Fujairah Oil Industry Zone published by industry information service S&P Global Commodity Insights."Fujairah barges have been trading above Singapore since mid-June.

06 Jun 2022

Sinopec Fuel Oil Singapore Targets 50% Increase in Bunker Sales

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

Sinopec Fuel Oil (Singapore) Pte Ltd aims to raise its monthly bunker sales volumes by more than 50% after it received a license from the Singapore government this month, the company’s general manager said on Monday.Chinese refiners are expanding their foothold in the global marine fuels sector by increasing sales and output of 0.5% low sulphur fuel oil at key ports in Zhoushan, in China, and Singapore in recent years.The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) awarded the bunker license to Sinopec's Singapore fuel oil unit on June 1, the MPA said on its website, allowing the company to

06 May 2022

Singapore Port Authority Says Tainted Bunker Fuel Came from UAE

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

Contaminated fuel supplied to some 200 ships in Singapore came from a tanker that loaded the oil from Khor Fakkan port in the United Arab Emirates, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said.MPA began investigations after it was notified on March 14 that a number of ships had been supplied with high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) containing high concentration levels of chlorinated organic compounds (COC) in Singapore.MPA said in April that the tainted oil was supplied by Glencore Singapore Pte Ltd.In further investigations to trace the oil's origin…

04 Apr 2022

Singapore Port Authority Probes Alleged Bunker Fuel Contamination

© Igor Groshev / Adobe Stock

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, which oversees the world's biggest marine refuelling hub, said it is investigating the suspected contamination of bunker fuel supplied to several ships in the port and had ordered supply of the batch to be halted.At least 14 ships that received tainted high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) from Singapore suffered loss of power and engine problems, Veritas Petroleum Services (VPS) said late last week."We detected contamination in 34 fuel samples and we are aware of 14 vessels that have suffered damages.

29 Jun 2021

Berge Bulk Orders More Scrubbers from Yara

(Photo: Yara Marine Technologies)

Berge Bulk has returned to Yara Marine Technologies for additional in-line scrubbers in a new retrofit deal aiming to help the dry bulk shipowner to reduce emissions from its vessels.Berge Bulk is currently on a journey to zero carbon operations, and Yara Marine has already installed in-line scrubbers on about 30 of its bulk carriers."We have had good experiences using Yara Marine for emissions reduction. They have already provided several of our vessels with efficient, safe, and reliable scrubbers.

20 Mar 2020

UAE Bans Ship Over Fuel Breach

© beketoff / Adobe Stock

The world's number two container line MSC is in talks with the United Arab Emirates after the Gulf country banned one of their vessels from entering its waters over what authorities said was a breach of tough new sulphur emissions rules for ships.This is one of the first punitive actions taken by a jurisdiction since regulations came into effect in January which make it mandatory for ships to use fuel with a sulphur content of 0.5%, down from 3.5% previously, or install devices that strip out the toxic pollutant - known as scrubbers.Ships were no longer able to even carry high sulphur fuel fro

18 Mar 2021

Scrubber-fitted Ships Nearly Double Since January 2020 -BIMCO

© zheltikov / Adobe Stock

As the lion’s share of the world fleet replaced high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) with low-sulphur fuel oil (LFSO) as a mean of propulsion to be compliant with the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) 2020 global sulphur cap that came into force on January 1, 2020, overall bunker sales rose in the world’s by far largest bunkering hub: Singapore.Total bunker sale volumes grew by 5% in 2020 and have continued to climb in the first two months of 2021 (+2.7% y/y),a n indication of the shipping industry’s ability to deliver all the way through the pandemic.

25 May 2020

BIMCO Tanker Rate Analysis: Reality Kicks In, Rates Fall

Source: BIMCO, Clarksons

Tanker shipping: sky high freight rates replaced by reality of falling global oil demandGeopolitical tensions have now eased, leaving freight rates to feel the full effects of the weak underlying market and falling demand. Tanker shipping looks set to be under pressure for the rest of the year.Demand drivers and freight ratesThe tanker shipping industry was once again caught in a whirlwind, as freight rates skyrocketed with little regard to the poor market fundamentals before the latter once again caught up with rates.

19 Jun 2020

'Strong Interest' in China's New Marine Fuel Contract

Illustration by tawatchai1990 - AdobeStock

China's marine fuel futures contract that debuts on Monday on the Shanghai International Energy Exchange (INE) is likely to attract strong interest, despite weakened ship fuel demand amid the coronavirus pandemic, industry participants said. The new low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) contract features marine fuel meeting stricter international emissions rules and is the latest commodity futures product - and second oil contract after Shanghai crude - open to foreign investment. With few competitors…

05 Nov 2020

Bunker Demand Returns to Pre-pandemic Levels

© STOCKSTUDIO / Adobe Stock

Asian refiners' profit from producing very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) climbed to six-month highs this week as output cuts keep supplies tight while demand for the shipping fuel at most ports are back at pre-pandemic levels, traders and analysts said.The trend is likely to stay for the rest of the year, encouraging Asian refiners to prioritize VLSFO production along with petrochemical feedstock naphtha, where demand has also firmed.The front-month VLSFO crack was at $9.43 per barrel above Dubai crude on Tuesday, its highest since April 10.