Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges make bunker measuring system compulsory from 2026

European bunkering hubs Rotterdam and Antwerp-Bruges will make the use of mass flow metering (MFM) for bunker vessels mandatory from January 2026, nine years after Singapore imposed a similar directive.

The move follows an independent study in both Antwerp and Zeebrugge and Rotterdam, which showed regular quantity issues in the bunker market and the port authorities said the new measure is aimed at making the Antwerp, Zeebrugge and Rotterdam market “more transparent, efficient and reliable”.

At the end of last year, when 40 out of 170 bunker vessels at the two ports were equipped with MFMs, the authorities announced that they would make it a requirement for all to have a certified measurement system on board.

“The port authorities are aware that this measure will have a major impact on the bunker market. By selecting January 1, 2026 as the start date, the various companies in the bunker chain have sufficient time to adapt to the new measure,” they said in a statement.

This future requirement was already included in the permits for bunker vessels in the port of Antwerp-Bruges. The permit for bunker transporters in Rotterdam is yet to be updated.

Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub, became the first port to mandate the use of MFMs in 2017, making them compulsory for marine fuel oil bunker barges licensed by the Maritime Port Authority (MPA).

Precise mass flow measurement provides greater integrity through certified calibration and tamper-proof seals. MFMs make use of the Coriolis effect to allow the flow of fluids and gases to be measured with a high degree of precision. When fitted to ships, MFMs produce computerised records of exact volumes delivered in real time. Both counter-parties have access to the same data.