The premiums of advanced fatty acid methyl ester (Fame) 0 ARA marine biodiesel blends to fossil fuel counterparts were marked at 2024 lows on 14 November, according to Argus assessments.
Calculated B30 Advanced Fame 0 dob ARA prices fell by $31.54/t to $623.25/t, the lowest since March 2023. Calculated B100 Advanced Fame 0 dob ARA values tumbled by $102.77/t to just over $820/t, their lowest since 22 November last year.
Consequently, the outright premium held by the B30 blend against very-low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) dob ARA narrowed by $30.54/t on the day to $123.25/t on 14 November — its narrowest since 29 December 2023. B100 held a $158.52/t premium to marine gasoil (MGO) dob ARA, down by $106.77/t on the day and its lowest premium this year.
EU emissions trading system (ETS) prices were assessed at $71.79/t on 14 November. Accounting for EU ETS costs on the same day, ETS-inclusive premiums held by Advanced Fame blends against their fossil counterparts hit their lowest since the introduction of EU ETS into maritime at the turn of the year. B30 Advanced Fame 0's ETS-incorporated premium against VLSFO narrowed by $31.27/t to $96.11/t on the day to 14 November. B100 Advanced Fame 0's premium against MGO dropped by $109.28/t to $66.45/t when ETS costs were accounted for.
Advanced Fame marine biodiesel blend values declined with thin spot demand owing to a shift in voluntary demand east of Suez. As a result, containerships seeking to deliver proof of sustainability (PoS) documentation to their customers, to offset the latter's scope 3 emissions, shifted their marine biodiesel demand to Singapore when feasible. PoS can be obtained on a mass-balance system, allowing shipowners flexibility with regards to the port at which a blend can be bunkered.
Lacklustre demand for the blends was complimented by soaring values for Dutch renewable tickets. The calculated Advanced Fame dob ARA range prices incorporate a deduction for HBE-Gs. These are a class of Dutch renewable fuels units, or HBEs, used by companies that bring liquid or gaseous fossil fuels into general circulation and are obligated to pay excise duty/energy tax on fuels.
Dutch renewable HBE-G tickets were marked at €22/GJ on 14 November, their highest since Argus assessments began. Soaring HBE-G values were attributed](https://direct.argusmedia.com/newsandanalysis/article/2628738) to gains in European hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) prices, tight supply because of a decline in tickets from biofuels used in shipping and less overall biofuel blending in the fourth quarter.
