Port of Rotterdam, Future Fuels and Low-Emission Bunkering Systems (Dredge Wire, 2025; Ammonia Energy Association, 2025)

The Port of Rotterdam is at the forefront of maritime decarbonization through the development of future fuel infrastructure and advanced bunkering systems, positioning itself as a global hub for low-emission marine energy. As the world’s second largest bunker port, handling approximately 10 million tonnes of fuel annually, Rotterdam is leveraging its scale and strategic location to transition from conventional fuels toward multi-fuel, low-carbon alternatives, including LNG, biofuels, methanol, and ammonia.

A key element of this transition is the rapid growth in liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering, which currently serves as a bridging fuel in the decarbonization pathway. In 2024, demand for LNG bunkering fuel increased significantly by 52%, reaching approximately 0.94 million m3, compared to 0.62 million m3 in 2023. The port attributed the growth to LNG demand rebounding to previous levels after a decline during the period of inflated gas prices (Dredge Wire, 2025). While still a transitional fuel, LNG demonstrates the port’s ability to scale alternative fuel infrastructure in response to market demand.

Building on this foundation, the Port of Rotterdam is preparing for ammonia as a future marine fuel. Ammonia contains no carbon, so it produces no CO2 at the point of combustion, but its lifecycle emissions depend on how it is produced; most ammonia today is made from fossil gas (grey ammonia). Its existing global production and distribution networks are one reason it is considered for deep-sea shipping.

A milestone in this transition was a ship-to-ship ammonia transfer pilot on 12 April 2025. It involved the transfer of 800 m3 of grey liquid ammonia at -33 °C between two vessels, completed safely and without ammonia release (Port of Rotterdam, 2025b). The pilot tested safety procedures and handling systems; it is readiness evidence, not evidence of the emissions performance of ammonia as a fuel.

The demonstration also confirmed the effectiveness of the port's safety framework for ammonia bunkering, increasing the port’s readiness to support ammonia as a marine fuel. Following the pilot, Rotterdam advanced to Port Readiness Level 7, enabling project-based ammonia bunkering and laying the foundation for future commercial deployment. This highlights the importance of system-level preparation, where infrastructure, safety protocols, and operational expertise must align to support new fuel types.

Beyond pilot testing, Rotterdam is planning a fuller ammonia supply chain, including storage, import, and distribution infrastructure. Existing facilities, such as the OCI Terminal Europort, have permits to increase storage capacity from 30,000 tonnes to 90,000 tonnes and throughput to 2 million tonnes of ammonia annually (Ammonia Energy Association, 2025). Additionally, OCI Global and VICTROL signed a memorandum of understanding under which VICTROL will design, build and operate a liquid ammonia bunker barge loading at the terminal (Ammonia Energy Association, 2025).

The integration of future fuels into Rotterdam’s operations also reflects a broader trend toward complete energy value chain development, encompassing import terminals, storage systems, bunkering infrastructure, and end-use applications. This systems-based approach ensures that fuel availability, logistics, and ship adoption are developed in parallel, supporting scalable and commercially viable deployment.

Moreover, the port’s efforts demonstrate how existing global fuel hubs can transition toward low-emission energy systems without compromising operational capacity. Total bunker sales (all fuels, measured in tonnes) remained close to 9.8 million tonnes in 2024, while LNG sales (measured in cubic meters) grew, indicating a shift in the energy mix (Port of Rotterdam, 2025a). However, total bunker sales fell by 25% in the first half of 2026, which the port attributed to the Dutch implementation of the EU RED III Directive, which made conventional fuels more expensive, and to a shift of bunker volumes to other ports; sales of alternative fuels rose by 28% (Port of Rotterdam, 2026).

Overall, the Port of Rotterdam case study illustrates how future fuels and advanced bunkering systems are central to maritime decarbonization. Through a combination of scaling transitional fuels like LNG and preparing for new fuels such as ammonia, the port is building a framework for lower-emission shipping. By aligning infrastructure development, safety standards, and global supply chains, Rotterdam provides an example of energy transition in major port hubs, supporting the long-term shift toward sustainable and diversified marine fuel systems.