Rotterdam throughput up on products imports, refinery crude demand

Quantum Commodity Intelligence – Throughput of liquid bulk at the Port of Rotterdam, which includes crude oil, refined products and liquified natural gas, increased 1.1% in the first half of the year to 100.9 million mt, driven by increased refinery activity and greater imports of fuel oil and naphtha, the port authority said Thursday.

Throughput of products was up 3.7% and crude oil by 0.4%, although the exact amounts were not disclosed, while LNG volumes dropped 4.7% from the same period last year.

"More fuel oil came to Rotterdam from Russia, mainly due to fewer direct exports from Russia to the US," said the port in a statement.

"Naphtha is a typical import product. In this case, more demand from the chemical industry led to more imports."

Meanwhile, imports of distillates were down and exports up, due partly to higher demand for fuels in the US after the cold snap earlier this year, while local kerosene demand "dropped sharply."

Biofuels throughput was also up on the year, and chemicals lower.

Elsewhere, dry bulk volumes grew 22.5% on the year to 37.7 million mt on greater demand for iron ore, scrap and coke for German steel production as well for coal for power generation.

Coal throughput was up 35.8% from January to June this year but from a very low base last year.  

Agricultural dry bulk was down 8.9% though with figures last year boosted by stock building at the start of the pandemic and then depressed subsequently as stocks have drawn down.

Containers throughput hit a record for a six-month period, but the actual amount was not disclosed.

More empty containers were shipped in the first quarter this year and the average weight per container has also been trending lower, said the port.