Alternatives also reach a high price
The prices for all kinds of fuel are going through the roof. According to data from the specialised platform shipandbunker.com, the average price of fuel with very low sulphur content (very low sulphur fuel oil/VLSFO), reached USD 1,019.5/t on 8 June 2022.
This figure is based on the comparison of prices in the 20 ports with the most supply activity of VLSFO worldwide. It marks a new all-time high, exceeding the USD 1,040.50/t recorded in March this year after the first weeks of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The price differential between VLSFO and heavy fuel oil (HFO) with high sulphur content also marks its maximum, reaching USD 387/t. The HFO can still be used by those ships whose owners have chosen to install exhaust gas scrubbers (scrubbers), to meet the requirements of Annex VI of the Marpol Convention (IMO 2020). In any case - bunkering has become a luxury. (sh)