Vopak expands storage for waste-based feedstocks

Global tank storage company Vopak has expanded its storage capacity for waste-based feedstocks at Rotterdam port with the launch of 16 new tanks.

The new tanks at Vopak’s Vlaardingen terminal had a combined capacity of 64,000m³ and were designed to store waste-based feedstocks for the production of biodiesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the company said on 10 May.

The terminal had extensive experience in storing these types of products and was well-connected for logistics via vessels, barges, trucks, and trains, Vopak said.

It also had a long-term commercial agreement with global oil giant Shell to store feedstocks for Shell’s new biorefinery in Rotterdam, which was set to be one of Europe’s largest SAF production facilities, producing SAF and renewable diesel from waste materials such as used cooking oil (UCO), waste animal fat and other residual products.

Vopak stores and handles a range of products including biofuels, vegetable oils, chemicals, gases and crude oil.

New inland tanker for low Rhine water levels

German chemical giant BASF and Stolt Tankers have launched a a new inland tanker to navigate low water levels on the Rhine River.

The Stolt Ludwigshafen was launched at BASF’s Ludwigshafen site on 26 May.

“Following the extreme low water levels on the Rhine in 2018, we initiated an extensive programme to improve climate resilience at Ludwigshafen,” said Uwe Liebelt, BASF president, European Verbund sites.

Built between 2021-2023, the inland tanker had been operational since the end of April and featured a lightweight and hydro-dynamically optimised hull and a special propulsion system adapted for extreme low-water conditions.

To achieve a high load-bearing capacity, the ship’s dimensions were 135m by 17.5m, con- siderably larger than conventional tankers on the Rhine, BASF said.

These features allowed the ship to pass the critical point on the Rhine River near Kaub, with a cargo payload of 800 tonnes even at a gauge level of 30cm (corresponding to a water depth of 1.6m).

At moderately low water levels, the tanker’s loading capacity of around 2,300 tonnes would be double compared to conventional inland vessels, BASF said. Overall, the Stolt Ludwigshafen featured a maximum loading capacity of 5,100 tonnes.

Stolt Tankers operates a fleet of more than 160 parcel tankers, providing global transportation services for bulk liquid chemicals, edible oils, acids and clean petroleum products.

Marine fuel VLSFO and HSFO prices fall back to 2021 levels

Against a backdrop of falling petroleum prices, the cost of marine fuel has dropped to 2021 levels, Freight Waves writes.

“Oil prices have been on the decline over the past few weeks, falling further this week on weak manufacturing data out of China,” Deutsche Bank shipping analyst Chris Robertson was quoted as saying in the 2 May report.

Most commercial ships burn fuel with 0.5% sulphur known as very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO), according to the report.

Following the introduction of the IMO 2020 environmental regulations on 1 January 2020, the use of VLSFO or other low-sulphur fuels has been required. The only exception is for ships with exhaust gas scrubbers, which can continue to burn cheaper 3.5% sulphur fuel known as high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO), according to Freight Waves

The price of VLSFO had fallen more steeply, in line with the drop in Brent crude oil prices, while the price of HSFO had held up better, significantly narrowing the VLSFO-HSFO spread, the report said.

The average price of VLSFO at the world’s top 20 refuelling hubs had dropped to US$593.50/tonne on 1 May – on par with December 2021 prices, according to Ship&Bunker data.

Meanwhile, the price of HSFO at the world’s top 20 hubs was US$496.50/ tonne on 1 May, a drop of 35% from the peak in May 2022 and back to levels seen in September 2021.