The price spread between bio-blended bunker fuel and conventional very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) has compressed in Rotterdam following uneven price movements across both grades, according to reporting by Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide.
Over the course of a week, Rotterdam's B30-VLSFO blend based on palm oil mill effluent methyl ester (POMEME) advanced by $11/mt. Over the identical timeframe, standard VLSFO delivered in the Dutch bunkering hub climbed by $30/mt.
This sharper rise in the conventional fuel benchmark reduced the premium commanded by B30-VLSFO over VLSFO by $19/mt, bringing the differential down to $155/mt. Softer feedstock expenses helped curb the scale of price increases seen in the bio-bunker product.
Local regulatory mechanisms continue to influence the commercial landscape, with Dutch marine fuel suppliers eligible to generate tradeable ZRE A certificates when supplying low-carbon marine fuels.