Marine biofuel is conventional bunker fuel blended with a biogenic component, most commonly FAME, and sold as a blend such as B30, or as a pure biogenic fuel such as B100 FAME or B100 HVO. Demand is driven by FuelEU Maritime and by the cost of emissions under the EU ETS rather than by price advantage. Because member states implement the underlying directives at their own pace, the same blend can have a different compliance value depending on which port it is bunkered in.
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- 2We test the market
- 3We introduce
- 4You contract directly
- 5We stay reachable
We never take title, so the contract is always between you and the counterparty.
What the blends actually are
Read this first: this is a market map built from public sources, not a client list. Naming a company here says nothing about whether we work with them, and we do not claim to represent any of them. The naming is straightforward once you see it. The number is the percentage of biogenic component in the blend, and the base fuel is whatever it is blended into.
- B30 is thirty per cent biogenic component, most commonly FAME, blended into a conventional base such as VLSFO or marine gasoil. It is the most widely bunkered blend.
- B100 FAME is the pure biogenic fuel, with no fossil base at all.
- B100 HVO is hydrotreated rather than esterified, which gives different cold flow behaviour and storage stability. It costs more and behaves better.
- Residue-based B100 exists as well, made from the heavier end of the biogenic slate, and behaves differently again in a tank.
The demand comes from regulation, not from price
Nobody bunkers biofuel because it is cheap. FuelEU Maritime sets a declining limit on the greenhouse gas intensity of energy used on board, and the EU ETS puts a cost on emissions from voyages in scope. Together they make a more expensive fuel the cheaper option overall, and as both tighten the gap moves further in that direction.
That is worth stating plainly because it explains the buying behaviour. A shipowner is not shopping for a fuel; they are managing a compliance position across a fleet and a year. The conversation is about what the fuel counts as, not what it costs per tonne.
Why the bunker port is a commercial decision
EU directives are implemented nationally and the implementations do not move in step. Argus reported in 2025 on a mismatch between EU-wide FuelEU Maritime rules and national implementation of RED III, describing it as set to disrupt ARA biofuel trade.
For a shipowner this is not an abstraction: it means the same blend bunkered in two ports in the same range can produce a different compliance outcome. For a supplier of blend components it means the demand is not evenly spread across the range. Our ARA page covers how the three ports differ.
What this means if you are selling feedstock
Marine is a genuine outlet for FAME and for the feedstocks behind it, and it has grown quickly. It also has its own documentation expectations, because the buyer has to prove the emissions saving rather than simply consume the fuel.
The practical requirement is the same as for road fuel and no lighter: a certified chain and a Proof of Sustainability per delivery with the GHG figure on it. A blend supplier who cannot document the biogenic component cannot serve this market at all, however good the fuel is.
The handling questions that come up
- Cold flow and storage stability, which is where FAME and HVO differ most and where a blend that sat too long causes trouble.
- Compatibility with the previous cargo in the tank, since biogenic components behave differently against residues than fossil fuel does.
- Water and microbial growth, a real issue in FAME blends held over time.
- The documentation trail, which for this buyer is part of the product rather than an administrative afterthought.
A note on accuracy
This page is built from regulation as published, from trade association and port material, and from reporting by the price agencies. Mandates get amended, terminals change hands and national implementation moves at its own pace, so treat this as orientation rather than a live position, and verify against the current text before contracting.
If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we will correct it.
Frequently asked questions
What does B30 mean?
Thirty per cent biogenic component, usually FAME, blended into a conventional base such as VLSFO or marine gasoil. The number is simply the percentage of the biogenic part.
What is the difference between B100 FAME and B100 HVO?
Both are pure biogenic fuels with no fossil base, but FAME is esterified and HVO is hydrotreated. HVO has better cold flow behaviour and storage stability and costs more. Which is appropriate depends on the vessel, the route and how long the fuel will sit.
Why would a shipowner pay more for biofuel?
Because FuelEU Maritime limits the greenhouse gas intensity of energy used on board and the EU ETS puts a price on emissions in scope. The fuel is more expensive per tonne and cheaper overall once compliance is counted. It is a compliance purchase, not a fuel purchase.
Does it matter which port I bunker in?
It can matter a great deal. National implementation of the underlying directives differs between member states, so the same blend can produce a different compliance outcome depending on where it is bunkered. Argus reported on exactly this mismatch in the ARA range in 2025.
Do marine biofuels need the same certification as road fuel?
Yes, and for the same reason: the buyer has to prove the emissions saving. A certified chain and a Proof of Sustainability per delivery with the GHG figure are required. A supplier who cannot document the biogenic component cannot serve this market.
Can I sell FAME into bunkering without a marine background?
The product is the same; the buyer and the documentation expectations are different. If you already produce or place FAME, marine is a real second outlet. Tell us the specification and the volume and we will tell you whether it fits.
Market news
Recent headlines from across the feedstock and renewable fuel sector. Nothing specific to this market has come through the wires lately, so this is the wider view. The links go to the publisher; we do not host or edit their reporting, and a headline here is not our endorsement of it. Scroll for more.
- Call for papers on AI for circular economy: Intelligent algorithms for sustainable resource recovery
- NEDO, Kyoto University build world’s first hydrogen beamline at SPring-8-II
- Air Products and Nobian sign long-term agreement for RFNBO-compliant hydrogen
- Romania’s Senate approves green hydrogen law
- Namibia pioneers Africa’s first green hydrogen facility
- Hamburg starts building hydrogen connector for HH-WIN network
- Commercial use of green hydrogen gets under way in Czechia
- Kawasaki Heavy starts Kawasaki hydrogen plant with 18-ton daily capacity
- The Navy, Amyris, Emvolon, Haffner Energy and the Incredible Shrinking Refinery
- ICM supplying processing tech for Atvos’ Brazilian corn ethanol production plant
- Outage at South Africa’s Natref refinery
- Australian Government releases national maritime emissions reduction plan
- Circularity Communicated Conference 2026
- Circular fashion: Design, science and value in a sustainable clothing industry
- nova-Institute hosts the chemical industry defossilisation summit
- Quick Scan Circular Business Models
- Rubbermaid Brilliance line expands with Eastman’s Tritan Renew
- New ABC data reveals how America’s biogas is used today
18 headlines, updated automatically. Last refreshed .
Sources and further reading
Primary sources for the rules and figures on this page, so you can check them yourself. Legislation is amended: always read the consolidated text on the date that matters to you.
Who to ask about Marine biofuel
Just ask. Sourcing blend components or placing volume into bunkering? Tell us the product, the port and the certification, and we will tell you where it fits. You get Bart van den Brug on the other end, same working day, in English or Dutch, and across the team also in French, Portuguese, Polish, Czech and Russian.
On how we work: on the feedstocks and fuels on this site we are a broker. We never take title, we do not trade our own book, and we are paid a commission on business that concludes. Additives are the one exception: those we also buy and sell for our own account, and we say in which capacity we are acting before you commit to anything. Either way you will hear it from us when the answer is no, or when your parcel is not ready for the conversation you want to have. A market read or a second opinion on a specification costs nothing and commits you to nothing.
Happy to look at whatever you have, even if it is half an analysis and a question.
+31 6 115 83 448
bart@sustainablecommodities.eu
Sustainable Commodities 3 B.V., Lemmer, the Netherlands
Ask about Marine biofuel
A direct line to the desk. We answer the same working day in almost all cases, and we will tell you plainly when a cargo is not something we can place.
Prefer email? bart@sustainablecommodities.eu · +31 6 115 83 448
Last reviewed 02 September 2026. Regulatory references are given for orientation and are not legal advice: verify against the current Official Journal text before contracting.