Antwerp-Bruges Bunker Fuel Sales Rise 5% in Third Quarter of 2026

The port of Antwerp-Bruges sold 2.16 million metric tonnes of bunker fuel during the third quarter of 2026, according to data from the port authority. The figure represents a 5% increase over the 2.05 million tonnes traded in the second quarter and marks the highest quarterly volume recorded since the first quarter of the previous year.

Within the fuel mix, VLSFO established itself as the top-selling grade after a 25% jump from the previous quarter, reaching 675,000 tonnes, with a 31% share of the total, up from 26% in the second quarter. HSFO, which had led sales in the prior quarter, slipped to second place with a 4% decline to 631,000 tonnes, its share falling from 32% to 29%. ULSFO declined 3% to 160,000 tonnes, with a 7% share versus 8% previously. Overall, fuel oil sales totaled 1.71 million tonnes, up 7% from 1.60 million tonnes in the second quarter, accounting for 79% of total volume. Marine gasoil, meanwhile, grew 4% to 349,000 tonnes, holding a 16% share.

LNG bunker sales reached 74,000 tonnes in the quarter, a 3% decline from the 77,000 tonnes recorded in the second quarter. Over the first nine months of the year, the port accumulated 241,000 tonnes of LNG, up 30% from the same period last year, and needs just 18,000 additional tonnes in the fourth quarter to surpass last year's full-year record of 259,000 tonnes. Biofuel sales, by contrast, plunged 50% from the second quarter, falling to 13,000 tonnes from 27,000 tonnes.

Compared with the third quarter of 2025, when the port sold 1.92 million tonnes, this year's total marked a 12.5% increase. By fuel grade, ULSFO rose 13.9% to 159,663 tonnes, VLSFO climbed 25.7% to 674,713 tonnes, HSFO grew 17.7% to 630,706 tonnes and marine gasoil increased 2.3% to 348,957 tonnes. Biofuel, however, fell 75.8% year-on-year, from 55,726 to 13,459 tonnes, while LNG deliveries rose 8.1%, from 68,948 to 74,499 tonnes. No methanol deliveries have been recorded at the port so far this year.

In the third quarter, Antwerp-Bruges sold more bunker fuel than the port of Rotterdam. There, suppliers traded 1.8 million tonnes of conventional fuels, up 10% from the previous quarter, while bio-bunker sales fell 38% to 154,000 tonnes, bringing Rotterdam's total to around 1.95 million tonnes. LNG sales in Rotterdam also declined more sharply than in Antwerp-Bruges, dropping 21% to 97,000 tonnes.