Perfect Storm at Sea: High Bunker Prices Meet Declining Fuel Quality
Marine fuel buyers entered 2026 facing a perfect storm, suffering some of the highest bunker prices ever experienced, paired with a sharp and concerning decline in fuel quality. Across the traditional marine fossil fuel supply chain, VPS has seen a marked rise in fuel quality issues, with the Middle East conflict playing a major role ...
In 2026, marine fuel buyers faced a perfect storm, grappling with the highest bunker prices ever and a sharp decline in fuel quality. The Middle East conflict significantly contributed to both price volatility and quality deterioration in the traditional marine fossil fuel supply chain. For ship owners and operators, this presented an even more complex and unpredictable market with heightened operational risks.
VPS, a marine fuel testing company, has issued 29 Bunker Alerts between January and July 2026, far surpassing the 37 alerts recorded in all of 2025. The top ports requiring cat-fines and/or stability-related bunker alerts include ARA, Balboa, Busan, Callao, Hamburg, Houston, Las Palmas, Philadelphia, Piraeus, Rotterdam, San Roque, Singapore, and Valencia.
Notably, marine gas oil did not account for any Bunker Alerts in 2026, while HSFO and VLSFO dominated the fuels requiring warnings. HSFO has an 8.87% off-specification rate, VLSFO at 9.88%, MGO at 9.03%, and ULSFOs at 19.58%. ISO 8217 specifications only require compliance at the point of custody transfer, which may not guarantee fuel usability throughout the onboard lifecycle.
Factors such as storage, treatment, and onboard consumption conditions heavily influence the fuel's state upon reaching machinery. VPS testing, drawing on 45 years of experience, advises that standard compliance testing alone is insufficient to guarantee fuel safety. VPS offers additional tests, like the Fuel System Check (FSC) service and Separability Number testing, to mitigate operational risks.
These tests, along with chemical screening services and GCMS forensic analysis, help shipowners and operators identify real operational risks and make informed decisions on fuel management. VPS Technical Advisory Team reviews bunker analysis results and provides practical advice on fuel storage, handling, purification, and overall fuel management to mitigate risks linked to engine damage, SOLAS compliance, legislative requirements, and wider operational reliability.
Written by urgent.news from Hellenic Shipping News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
