Generic Hero BannerGeneric Hero Banner
Latest Market News

Off-spec bio-blends widen pricing spread

  • Spanish Market: Biofuels, Oil products
  • 15/02/24

The range of prices for marine biodiesel blends in Europe has widened as cheaper product that does not meet the region's road diesel engine specifications — as defined by the European EN14214 standard — gains market share.

Indicated values and fixed deals in Rotterdam for delivered bunker fuel made of pure biodiesel (B100) from advanced feedstocks — defined by Annex IX Part A of the EU's recast Renewable Energy Directive — were broadly reported at $897-1,000/t between 26 January and 7 February. But some suppliers quoted prices as high as $300/t higher for B100 blends meeting the EN14214 standard.

Argus assessed the calculated B100 advanced Fame 0°C CFPP dob ARA range price at an average of $1,127.95/t over the same period, with the price standing at $1143.36/t on 13 February. The calculated dob ARA range price incorporates a deduction for HBE-Gs, which are used by companies that bring liquid or gaseous fossil fuels into general circulation and are obligated to pay excise duty or energy tax on fuels, but it is also based on assessments for EN14214 standard biodiesel.

Shipowners may be tempted to burn cheaper fuels, but doing so could prove to be risky. Original equipment manufacturers of ship engines such as MAN and Wartsilla currently licence their engines to utilise and combust fuels that are in line with current ISO specification list, ISO8217:2017.

According to MAN service letters, biodiesel properties should meet either EN14214 or ASTM D6751 standards in order to be used for their engines. This means that shipowners using fuels that do not meet these standards are at risk of potentially voiding their warranty or insurance cover in the case of any damage to engines caused by off-spec fuels.

However, some market participants said shipowners can obtain a green light from their insurance provider by providing a specification sheet ahead of bunkering.

ISO is currently developing a new specification standard, ISO 8217:2024, which many market participants expect to broaden the coverage of alternative marine fuels and potentially establish a standard that is more flexible and applicable to the maritime sector. MAN said if a biodiesel standard is established in a new ISO 8217 edition, it will recommend following this version.


Related news posts

Argus illuminates the markets by putting a lens on the areas that matter most to you. The market news and commentary we publish reveals vital insights that enable you to make stronger, well-informed decisions. Explore a selection of news stories related to this one.

29/01/25

Sydney Airport transits up by 7pc in 2024

Sydney Airport transits up by 7pc in 2024

Sydney, 29 January (Argus) — Passenger numbers rose on the quarter and year at Australia's Sydney Airport in October-December, but remain behind pre-Covid-19 levels, meaning jet fuel demand is likely to be higher in 2025. Total transits at the nation's busiest airport were up by more than 500,000 on a year earlier in the quarter, aided by a 7pc rise in international passengers, while domestic numbers were up by 4pc. Numbers were also up in 2024 compared with 2023's annual figure, again aided by a 12pc rise in international terminal passengers, while domestic numbers rose by just 4pc. Total transits of 41.39mn were 7pc higher than a year earlier but are still 7pc below 2019 levels, the last full year before pandemic-era travel restrictions resulted in Sydney's figures dropping by 75pc in 2020 . Passenger traffic at Australia's Melbourne Airport — the nation's second busiest — rose by 7pc on the year in 2024 to 35.75mn , 5pc below 2019's 37.45mn. Jet fuel sales rose by 11pc in the first 11 months of 2024 to 160,000 b/d, with November the latest month for which data from Australian Petroleum Statistics are available. The figure was 161,000 b/d in January-November 2019, suggesting further growth in jet fuel demand is possible this year. By Tom Major Sydney Airport passenger traffic mn Oct-Dec '24 Jul-Sep '24 Oct-Dec '23 2024 2023 2019 q-o-q % ± y-o-y % ± 2024 vs 2023 % ± Total 11 10.3 10.5 41.4 38.7 44.4 6 5 7 International 4.4 4 4.1 16.3 14.5 16.9 8 7 12 Domestic 6.7 6.3 6.4 25.1 24.1 27.5 5 4 4 — Sydney Airport Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

US tariffs could shift Mexican HSFO to Panama


28/01/25
28/01/25

US tariffs could shift Mexican HSFO to Panama

New York, 28 January (Argus) — Proposed US tariffs on Mexican goods would raise US costs for Mexican high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO), potentially shifting flows of the country's marine fuel to the Central American bunkering hub of Panama. US president Donald Trump has said he will impose 25pc import tariffs on goods from Mexico. US oil companies are asking Trump to exclude oil from tariffs , but it is unclear whether Trump will oblige. Mexico's residual fuel oil exports reached a record high of 218,059 b/d in the first 10 months of 2024, according to data from Mexican state-owned Pemex. The US took most of Mexico's residual fuel oil exports during that period, importing 145,830 b/d from its neighbor, including 124,341 b/d that went to the US Gulf coast, according to US Energy Information Administration data. Should Trump implement the 25pc tariffs, companies bringing Mexican residual fuel oil to the US could reduce bids in effort to recoup their tariff costs. But lower bids could prompt Mexican exporters to redirect some of residual fuel oil to buyers in Panama, northwest Europe and Singapore. If the price makes sense, Panama bunker suppliers could displace some of their US Gulf coast import barrels with Mexican barrels, as Panama suppliers "are constantly out there hunting for the best price available in the international market", a Panama supplier told Argus . Panama's HSFO bunker demand averaged 25,466 b/d (1.19mn t) in January-October 2024. The country does not have an operational refinery and is dependent on imports for all its oil product needs. Panama received the bulk of its residual fuel oil shipments from Mexico, the US Gulf coast and Peru, according to ship tracking data from Vortexa. Trump has also promised unspecified actions to take control of the US-built Panama Canal in response to what he says has been unfair treatment of US ships, a claim that Panama president Jose Raul Mulino has rejected. By Stefka Wechsler Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Brazil biofuels venture to add complex in Alagoas


28/01/25
28/01/25

Brazil biofuels venture to add complex in Alagoas

Sao Paulo, 28 January (Argus) — Brazilian advanced biofuels firm GranBio, biofuels producer Impacto Bioenergia and two sugarcane plant operators will build a biofuels complex in northeastern Alagoas state, the companies said on Monday. The biorefinery project, named Exygen I, will cost an estimated R1.5bn ($253mn) and produce carbon neutral ethanol, biomethane and biofertilizers. It will have production capacity of 160mn l/yr (2,760 b/d) by 2026 and use sugarcane byproducts as feedstock, according to GranBio. Exygen I's estimated biomethane production capacity will be 50mn m³/yr. The complex will produce the renewable gas from vinasse, a by-product of sugarcane processing. Future investments would include increasing Exygen I's storage capacity and biogas distribution. But the initial storage and biogas distribution capacities were not disclosed. The project's next step includes producing biogenic CO2 — made from organic matter decomposition — biofertilizers and e-methanol, used in marine fuels. The project is a joint effort between GranBio, Impacto Bioenergia, Alagoas-based producing unit Caete and sugar and ethanol firm Central Açucareira Santo Antonio. Brazil's fuels of the future law , approved in October, increased incentives for the country's biofuels market. By Maria Frazatto Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Lootah Biofuels to collect UCO from UAE households


28/01/25
28/01/25

Lootah Biofuels to collect UCO from UAE households

Dubai, 28 January (Argus) — Dubai-based biofuels producer Lootah Biofuels will launch a smart app in coming months to facilitate the collection of used cooking oil (UCO) from households and businesses in the UAE. Lootah plans to increase and simplify the collection of UCO, which currently stands at 300,000 litres/month. The company wants to encourage "individuals and families to actively participate in collecting and safely disposing used cooking oil at designated collection points." Lootah Biofuels aims for the recycling of UCO to reach 80pc in the coming years, up from less than 50pc currently — largely sourced from restaurants and the hospitality sector. Lootah Biofuels' plant is the largest in the Middle East, producing 53,000 t/yr of biodiesel, which it supplies to the local transportation and aviation market and exports to the Netherlands, the UK, Germany and India. Lootah Biofuels signed an agreement with Malaysian biofuel feedstock supplier FatHopes Energy in 2023 to collaborate on supplying sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to Dubai's aviation sector and establishing a Malaysian used cooking oil (UCO) aggregation hub. Bunker hopes Bunker market participants in Fujairah, UAE, the world's third largest marine fuels centre, hope the potential production increase will boost availability of B24 — which consists of 24pc used cooking oil methyl ester (Ucome) and 76pc very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO). The Fujairah bunker market has been facing competition with other industry sectors over limited supplies. Bunkering B24 has been slow in Fujairah, with sporadic demand emerging. "There is just one customer who periodically asks for B24, which is not always available," a Fujairah trader said. Still, bunker sellers expect regional demand for B24 to rise later this year as shipowners prepare to meet more stringent mandates set by the EU and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). FuelEU Maritime aims to raise the share of renewable and low-carbon fuels in the fuel mix of maritime transport within the EU, and will set requirements for greenhouse gas emission reductions against a 2020 baseline level, starting with 2pc in 2025. The EU is an important market and a regular destination for much of the maritime traffic passing through Fujairah, so the new regulations are likely to be a trigger for change, market participants said. "Many vessels refuel in Fujairah before calling at EU ports," one trader says. "They already have to comply with the EU ETS, [Carbon Intensity Index], and will need to also comply with FuelEU." By Elshan Aliyev Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Republican floats repeal of 45Z clean fuel credit


27/01/25
27/01/25

Republican floats repeal of 45Z clean fuel credit

New York, 27 January (Argus) — A Republican lawmaker has quietly introduced a bill to repeal a key subsidy for low-carbon fuels, complicating a debate among lawmakers on what to do with clean energy incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act. The bill, HR 549, introduced this month by US representative Beth Van Duyne (R-Texas) would repeal the 2022 climate law's "45Z" incentive for clean fuels, which offers increasingly generous subsidies to fuels as they produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions. While the credit is currently in effect, the legislation as written would apply retroactively, striking the credit from the tax code after 2024. The proposal comes as Republicans prepare to pass major legislation this year through the Senate's reconciliation process, which bypasses the 100-member chamber's 60-vote requirement to advance most bills. Intent on extending tax breaks passed during President Donald Trump's first term but wary of adding to budget deficits, lawmakers are searching for ways to cut government spending. While changes to at least some Inflation Reduction Act programs are expected, biofuels policy is seen as a less likely target for Republicans than other climate policies. And even members supportive of scrapping clean energy subsidies might be wary of repealing incentives retroactively. Still, the new bill suggests that a full repeal of 45Z could at least be part of legislative discussions this year. The bill was referred on 16 January to the House Ways and Means Committee, of which Van Duyne is a member. Other Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee have expressed openness to updating but not necessarily eliminating the credit, with six members opening a request for information last year on options such as limiting foreign feedstocks or encouraging more "climate-smart" farm practices. Industry groups generally supportive of 45Z might even welcome some legislative changes, particularly those frustrated by incomplete guidance on qualifying for the credit issued in the waning days of former president Joe Biden's term. More information on lawmakers' plans could come soon, with House Republicans on Monday attending a policy retreat with Trump in Florida. Whatever changes are proposed, Republicans' slim majorities leaves them with little room for dissent and could give farm-state lawmakers leverage to ensure some type of biofuel tax credit survives legislative negotiations. By Cole Martin Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2025. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.

Generic Hero Banner

Business intelligence reports

Get concise, trustworthy and unbiased analysis of the latest trends and developments in oil and energy markets. These reports are specially created for decision makers who don’t have time to track markets day-by-day, minute-by-minute.

Learn more