Port of Rotterdam records sharp rise in bio-LNG use

The Port of Rotterdam recorded a sharp increase in alternative marine fuel uptake in 2025, with bio-LNG bunkering rising more than sixfold as shipping lines accelerated the shift away from conventional fuels.

Total bunker volumes reached 9.8 million tonnes in 2025, around 3,000 tonnes higher than in 2024.

For the first time, vessels bunkered more than 1 million cubic metres of LNG in Rotterdam, including 17,644 cubic metres of bio-LNG, up from 2,775 cubic metres a year earlier.

Bunkering of biomethanol also increased sharply, rising to 11,819 tonnes in 2025 from 3,946 tonnes in 2024.

In contrast, total volumes of bioblended fuels declined by 14 per cent year on year, although demand began to recover from the third quarter of 2025 following a downturn in late 2024.

That decline was linked to increased availability of bioblended fuels in Asia after the European Union imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese biodiesel. The port also advanced preparations for future fuels.

In April 2025, Rotterdam hosted its first ship-to-ship ammonia transfer at a terminal quay, marking a step towards enabling ammonia bunkering for vessels expected to operate on green ammonia in the coming years.