Marine fuel global weekly market update

Market: Biofuels, Fertilizers, Hydrogen, Oil products, Petrochemicals
17/04/23

A weekly Argus news digest of interest to the conventional and alternative marine fuel markets. To speak to our team about accessing the stories below, please contact: oil-products@argusmedia.com.

Alternative marine fuels

14 Apr Adnoc adds five newbuild VLGCs to fleet Abu Dhabi's state-owned Adnoc announced...

14 Apr Senators urge US not to invest in fossil H2 Four US senators urged the US Department of Energy (DOE) to...

14 Apr Capacity expansions to raise Asian methanol supplies Methanol supply to Asia-Pacific markets is expected to rise in the medium-to-long term...

14 Apr Brazilian refiners tighten renewable diesel focus Brazil's leading refiners Petrobras and Acelen are focusing investments on...

14 Apr Japanese firms eye low-carbon ammonia import hub A consortium of Japanese companies intends to transform...

14 Apr Cepsal to build Spanish HVO plant with Apical Abu Dhabi-owned Cepsa said it plans to build a...

13 Apr Hapag-Lloyd ups biofuel for marine fuel German cargo ship operator Hapag-Lloyd has significantly increased its reliance...

13 Apr Icelandic utility recruits Linde for e-fuels projects Iceland's state-owned power company Landsvirkjun and industrial gas company Linde have signed...

13 Apr Germany plans intervention on wrongly labelled biofuels The German federal environment ministry (BMUV) has told Argus that...

13 Apr LNG vessels divert from well-supplied South Korea Limited incentives for power-sector gas burn and mild weather have left high South Korean LNG inventories...

13 Apr GCMD, Lloyd's Register to study vessel CO2 offloading The Singapore-based Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) announced...

12 Apr Titan delivers LNG on barge to NYK vessel Dutch LNG bunker supplier Titan completed its first ship-to-ship...

12 Apr Honeywell launches H2 carrier US engineering firm Honeywell launched a liquid organic hydrogen carrier...

12 Apr Trio team up to create marine CO2 credits Green technology firm Njord is teaming up with European alternative asset management firm...

11 Apr Gothenburg to develop methanol bunkering storage Port of Gothenburg and Inter Terminals Sweden (ITS) will develop a methanol...

11 Apr CMA CGM in $3bn methanol, LNG ship deal French shipping firm CMA CGM has signed a $3bn agreement with Chinese shipbuilder...

11 Apr Lula to expand Petrobras' fleet, focus on renewables Brazil's president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva vowed to expand the marine fleet of state-controlled...

11 Apr Exempt H2 from EU emissions directive: Industry body Industry body Hydrogen Europe has urged EU institutions to exempt all...

11 Apr Study backs potential for Angolan green ammonia project Australia-listed Minbos Resources is looking to move ahead with a planned project in...

11 Apr South Korea's DSME receives order for LNG carrier South Korean shipbuilder Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) has received an order...

10 Apr Cruise ship refuels with LNG in Barbados Barbados' three national energy companies collaborated to ...

10 Apr Osaka Gas, IHI, PGTS plan biomethane output in Malaysia Japanese gas utility Osaka Gas and engineering firm IHI have partnered with...

10 Apr China's Baofeng Energy starts 2.4mn t/yr methanol unit Chinese private-sector petrochemical giant Baofeng Energy achieved on-specification methanol...

10 Apr Firms tie up to supply green methanol at Chinese ports China-based shipping company Cosco Shipping, France-based shipper CMA-CGM and...

9 Apr Tsuneishi builds methanol-fuelled ships for J Lauritzen Japanese shipbuilder Tsuneishi Shipbuilding has received an order to build two dual fuel...

Conventional marine fuels

14 Apr Panama March bunker sales up from 2022 Panama bunker fuel sales in March…

14 Apr France imports diesel again after strikes French ports have mostly reopened after strike action, allowing large...

14 Apr Europe refiners restarting in south, shutting in north) The early part of Europe's refinery maintenance season cut especially into throughputs in...

14 Apr S Korea's SK Energy plans Ulsan refinery maintenance South Korean refiner SK Energy will conduct heavy maintenance at its...

14 Apr Refinery start-ups push Chinese fuel overseas Chinese product exports remain far higher than expected...

14 Apr Vietnam's Dung Quat postpones turnaround to early 2024 Vietnam's 145,000 b/d Dung Quat refinery has postponed its turnaround originally planned for...

14 Apr NWE scrubber spread narrows to below $100/t The scrubber, or Hi-5, spread in northwest Europe has narrowed to...

14 Apr Singapore bunker sales rise on year in March Total bunker sales in Singapore reached 4.18mn t in March, 11pc higher than...

13 Apr Coker halt prompts residue export from Greece's Elefsis Greek refiner Hellenic Petroleum is exporting ...

13 Apr Inland oil products demand picks up in ARA on the week Independently-held oil product stocks at the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp ...

13 Apr Volatile arbitrage redirects Asian gasoil Volatile arbitrage economics have forced Mideast Gulf and Indian gasoil supplies to...

12 Apr Carnival cuts particulate matter emissions by 50pc US cruise company Carnival Cruise Line says it has achieved one goal related to...

11 Apr Baltic port Ust Luga cancels ice restrictions Ust Luga port has cancelled its ice restrictions from ...

10 Apr Brazil's diesel imports reach six-month high Brazil's diesel imports reached a six-month high in...

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News

16/05/25

US House panel votes down Republican megabill

Washington, 16 May (Argus) — A key committee in the US House of Representatives voted today to reject a massive budget bill backed by President Donald Trump, as far-right conservatives demanded deeper cuts to clean energy tax credits and social spending programs. The House Budget Committee failed to pass the budget reconciliation bill in a 16-21 vote, with four House Freedom Caucus members — Ralph Norman (R-South Carolina), Chip Roy (R-Texas), Josh Brecheen (R-Oklahoma) and Andrew Clyde (R-Georgia) — voting no alongside Democrats. A fifth Republican voted no for procedural reasons. The failed vote will force Republicans to consider major changes to the bill before it comes up for a vote on the House floor as early as next week. Republican holdouts say the bill would fall short of their party's promises to cut the deficit, particularly because it would front-load increased spending and back-load cuts. The bill is set to add $3.3 trillion to the deficit, or $5.2 trillion if temporary provisions were permanent, according to estimates from the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Some critics of the bill said the proposed cut of $560bn in clean energy tax credits is not enough, because the bill would retain some tax credits for new wind and solar projects. "A lot of these credits have been in existence for 30 or 40 years, and you talk about giveaways, we want to help those who really need help," Norman said ahead of his no vote. "That's the heart of this. Sadly, I'm a no until we get this ironed out." Negotiations will fall to House speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana), who can only lose three votes when the bill comes up for a vote by the full House. But stripping away more of the energy tax credits enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act could end up costing Johnson votes among moderates. More than a dozen Republicans on 14 May asked to pare back newly proposed restrictions on the remaining clean energy tax credits. Ahead of the failed vote, Trump had pushed Republicans to support what he calls the "Big Beautiful Bill". In a social media post, he said "Republicans MUST UNITE" in support of the bill and said the party did not need "GRANDSTANDERS". The failed vote has parallels to the struggles that Democrats had in 2021 before the implosion of their push to pass their sprawling "Build Back Better" bill, which was later revived as the Inflation Reduction Act. Republicans say they will work over the weekend on a compromise. The House Budget Committee has scheduled another hearing at 10pm on 18 May to attempt to vote again on the budget package, but any changes to the measure would occur later, through an amendment released before the bill comes up for a vote on the House floor. By Chris Knight Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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UK establishes public energy company

15/05/25

News

15/05/25

UK establishes public energy company

London, 15 May (Argus) — The UK parliament has passed a bill establishing a publicly owned energy company, Great British Energy (GBE), to support the nation's renewable energy ambitions. The company, funded with £8.3bn ($11.02bn) over the current parliamentary term, aims to accelerate renewable energy projects, enhance energy security, and support job creation, the department for energy security and net zero (Desnz) announced on Thursday. GBE will invest in clean energy initiatives, including technologies such as floating offshore wind, and collaborate with private companies to expand renewable energy capacity. The government states the company will help stabilise energy costs by reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The bill includes £200mn for renewable energy projects, such as rooftop solar for schools, hospitals, and communities. It has also committed £300mn to develop the UK's offshore wind supply chain, supporting manufacturing of components such as cables and platforms. The legislation received approval from the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, enabling GBE to operate across the UK. Desnz secretary of state Ed Miliband is expected to outline GBE's strategic priorities "soon", specifying technology focus areas and investment criteria. The government sees GBE as a key part of its plan to transition to clean energy and stimulate economic growth through a "modern industrial strategy", it said. Industry body Energy UK welcomed the bill's passage. "[GBE] can play a vital role in making the government's clean energy ambitions a reality by attracting extra private sector investment," chief executive Dhara Vyas said. By Timothy Santonastaso Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

France consults on expanded biofuels mandate

15/05/25

News

15/05/25

France consults on expanded biofuels mandate

London, 15 May (Argus) — France has opened consultation on the transposition of part of the recast renewable energy directive (RED III) into national law, which would replace the current system with a new one called "incentive for the reduction of the carbon intensity of fuels" (IRICC). The proposal introduces two separate sets of requirements for transport fuels. The first is for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, broken down by transport sectors — road, aviation, maritime, LPG and natural gas for vehicles, which could be CNG or LNG (see table). In the current draft, the GHG reduction target for the road sector will start at 5.9pc in 2026, rising to 10.6pc in 2030 and 18.7pc in 2035. For aviation, the target starts at 2.5pc in 2026, rising to 5.8pc in 2030 and 18.8pc in 2035. The GHG mandate levels include a gradual phasing-in of new fuel sectors – river and maritime fuels, fuel gasses, and aviation. To meet the overall RED III target of 14.5pc emissions reduction by 2030, the national French target includes the biofuels mandates, a share for rail transport, and a share or private vehicle charging. The second set of requirements is a renewable fuel requirement by energy content, which is broken down by fuel type — diesel, gasoline, LPG and natural gas fuels and marine fuel (see table). The blending requirements for diesel start at 9pc in 2026, rising to 11.4pc in 2030 and 16pc in 2035. For gasoline, the mandates start at 9.5pc in 2026, rising to 10.5pc in 2030 and 14.5pc in 2035. Finally, the proposal includes a set of sub-mandates for advanced fuels and renewable hydrogen . The advanced biofuels mandate would start at 0.7pc in 2026, rising to 1.95pc in 2030 and 2.6pc in 2035. Users of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) would not be subject to the advanced sub-mandate. In feedstock restrictions, the crop cap will rise to 7pc from 6.2pc in 2030 and 2035, while the limit for fuels made from feedstocks found in Annex IX-B of RED will be at 0.6pc in 2026, 0.7pc in 2030 and 1pc in 2035 for diesel and petrol. Aviation fuel will not have a IX-B cap until 2030, and from then it will be 6pc. Mandate compliance would be managed by a certificate system through the CarbuRe registry, with a compliance deadline of 1 March the following year. Public electric vehicle charging would also generate tickets, although the amount of tickets generated by charging light passenger vehicles would be reduced from 2031 to reach 50pc in 2035. Renewable hydrogen used in transport would also generate tickets counting towards the hydrogen sub-quota and reduce the overall GHG savings requirement. Public charging stations will start generating fewer tickets for electric passenger vehicles from 2031 to 50pc by 2035. France is also considering steep penalties for non-compliance, at €700/t CO2 not avoided for the GHG reduction requirement and at €40/GJ for the fuel targets. The penalty for not meeting hydrogen and advanced fuel sub-targets would be doubled, at €80/GJ. The consultation is open for comments until 10 June. By Simone Burgin Proposed GHG reduction by transport sector % 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 Road and non-road diesel 5.9 7.1 8.3 9.5 10.6 13.2 14.8 16.2 17.5 18.7 Aviation 2.5 3.3 4.1 4.9 5.8 8.4 10.8 13.3 15.9 18.7 RFNBO sub-target (% en.) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.2 1.2 2.0 2.0 2.0 5.0 Maritime 2.5 3.25 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 8.0 10.0 12.0 14.5 RFNBO sub-target (% en.) 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 2.0 2.0 LPG and natural gas fuels 0.0 0.0 2.7 6.3 10.6 13.2 14.8 16.2 17.5 18.7 DGEC Proposed energy content mandate by fuel type % (en.) 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 Diesel 9.0 9.5 10.1 10.7 11.4 12.2 13.0 13.8 14.9 16.0 Petrol 9.5 9.7 10.0 10.2 10.5 11.1 11.8 12.6 13.4 14.5 Natural gas fuels 0.0 0.0 3.0 7.0 12.0 15.0 16.0 18.0 19.0 21.0 LPG 0.0 0.0 3.0 7.0 12.0 15.0 16.0 18.0 19.0 21.0 Marine fuel 2.9 3.8 4.7 5.9 7.1 8.2 9.4 11.8 14.1 17.1 DGEC Proposed caps and sub-targets % (en.) 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 2034 2035 Feedstock caps Crop feedstocks 6.2 6.4 6.6 6.8 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 Annex IX-B feedstocks* 0.6 0.6 0.65 0.7 0.7 0.75 0.8 0.85 0.9 1.0 Cat. 3 tallow 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 Tall oil 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.15 0.2 Fuel sub-targets Advanced feedstocks 0.7 0.95 1.25 1.6 1.95 2.0 2.1 2.25 2.4 2.6 RFNBOs/Renewable hydrogen 0.05 0.2 0.5 1.0 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.0 *For diesel and petrol Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

News

New Zealand approves rules to raise jet fuel storage

15/05/25

News

15/05/25

New Zealand approves rules to raise jet fuel storage

Sydney, 15 May (Argus) — New Zealand has approved regulations to increase jet fuel storage in or around Auckland Airport before November next year to stop fuel supply disruptions. The regulations approved by New Zealand's government mean that fuel companies have until 1 November 2026 to invest in sufficient fuel storage, allowing them to have 10 days' worth of cover at 80pc operations , a measure introduced in a 2019 inquiry. New Zealand imported an average of around 22,000 b/d of jet fuel in the three months to 12 May, according to trade analytics platform Kpler data. Fuel companies have also agreed to invest in a new storage tank near Auckland Airport, according to New Zealand's associate energy minister Shane Jones. Auckland Airport had a pipeline rupture in 2017 that impacted almost 300 flights and resulted in an inquiry in 2019. The recommendation from the inquiry has not been met by fuel companies, said Jones, leaving New Zealand at risk of fuel supply disruptions. The government also updated the rules regarding fuel companies giving government visibility on the amount of jet fuel they hold near Auckland Airport. Jet fuel importers in Australia must have a baseline stock level of 27 days since July 2024, up from 24 days previously. By Susannah Cornford Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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Refinery maintenance to limit Bahrain's bitumen exports

15/05/25

News

15/05/25

Refinery maintenance to limit Bahrain's bitumen exports

Mumbai, 15 May (Argus) — Bitumen export supply from Bahrain state-controlled refiner Bapco's 267,000 b/d Sitra refinery is expected to fall in May-June because of upcoming planned maintenance work and subsequent upgrading work at the plant, international bitumen traders and importers told Argus . The planned maintenance is scheduled to start around the end of May and will limit bitumen output as a vacuum distillation unit (VDU) will be taken off line, market participants close to the refinery said, but further details on the turnaround was unavailable. Some international traders and importers told Argus that Bapco will not offer waterborne cargoes during the turnaround, which is expected to last through June, and available inventories will be reserved for domestic consumption. Listed seaborne bitumen prices are at $370/t fob Sitra, unchanged since mid-April. Earlier this month, the 3,394 deadweight tonne Sidra Al Wakra vessel loaded a 3,100t cargo from Sitra for discharge in Qatar, shiptracking data from global trade and analytics firm Kpler show. The same vessel is scheduled to load a similar-sized cargo in the coming week, the data showed, but it was unclear if this would be the last bitumen tanker loading schedule ahead of the turnaround. Import demand for Bahraini cargoes has been lacklustre since 2024 because of competitive offers from neighbouring Iran, and only those with special requirements were enquiring for Bahraini cargoes. Import demand was mostly from Qatar, the UAE, and South Africa's Durban. The weekly fob Iran bulk price was assessed by Argus at $342.50/t on 9 May, at a discount of $27.50/t to Bahrain's listed seaborne prices. The Argus -assessed fob Iran bulk prices were at a discount of $109.90/t on average to Bahrain's listed seaborne prices in 2024. The discounts widened to as high as $201/t at the end of May last year. Meanwhile, the Sitra refinery is undergoing upgrading as part of the $7bn flagship Bapco Modernisation Project (BMP), which will increase the refinery's capacity to 380,000 b/d from 267,000 b/d. The project was inaugurated towards the end of last year and currently the refinery is likely starting up secondary units, but further details on the progress of this were not available. The upgraded refinery will primarily increase output of middle distillates, indicating that output of heavier products such as bitumen will be reduced, especially with the start-up of the secondary units. By Sathya Narayanan, Ieva Paldaviciute and Keyvan Hedvat Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

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