Rotterdam B100 samples more than double so far in 2026

Quality-sample data from ENGINE points to a clear shift in Rotterdam's marine biofuel mix. Neat B100 showed up in 77 samples from January through August 2026, against 34 in the same stretch of 2025. That lift pushed B100 to about 23% of the port's biofuel samples tracked by ENGINE, up from roughly 12% a year earlier.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority reports bio-blended oils and distillates as a group, so there is no official B100 sales total. Sample counts are therefore only a proxy, but the direction is hard to miss. Blends such as B30-VLSFO still lead on share, yet their slice of the sample set has slipped while B100 and B30-ULSFO have gained.

Dutch RED III rules help explain the move. Sellers of advanced biofuels can create ZRE A maritime emission reduction units and sell those tickets to parties that need them for conventional grades. EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime add a second pull: burning qualifying biofuel can cut carbon cost and compliance exposure for the shipowner.

For a buyer planning an ARA stem, the practical step is to ask for B100 and B30 alongside VLSFO or LSMGO and to weigh pathway evidence and compliance value with the physical quote. More parties now handle biofuel in Rotterdam than a year ago, so neat product is easier to enquire for, but lead time and documentation still need checking before nomination.