Antwerp-Bruges increased bunker sales in the third quarter to 2.16 million tonnes, a rise of 5% from the 2.05 million tonnes recorded in the second quarter, the port authority figures reported in a reports article dated 23 October 2026.
Quarterly totals and context
The 2.16 million tonnes sold in the third quarter was the highest quarterly volume recorded at Antwerp-Bruges since the first quarter of last year, according to the figures cited in The report. The port authority’s data show a clear uptick from the prior quarter, reversing a short-term decline and placing third‑quarter sales above those in the immediate preceding three months.
Antwerp-Bruges posted a 5% increase on the quarter, moving from 2.05 million tonnes in Q2 to 2.16 million tonnes in Q3. The source ties the quarterly growth to broader fuel market movements referenced in the same report, which noted that very low sulphur fuel oil, or VLSFO, had jumped over the period.
Regional comparison
The reports piece also states that Antwerp-Bruges sold more bunker fuel than Rotterdam during the same quarter. The port authority data used in the report underpin that comparison, placing Antwerp-Bruges ahead of its regional rival for bunker volumes in Q3.
That relative outperformance is presented in the source as a notable development given the long-standing dominance of nearby hubs; the figures show Antwerp-Bruges returning its strongest quarterly throughput since early last year. The report does not publish detailed vessel counts or breakdowns by fuel grade beyond the headline observation regarding VLSFO.
Market drivers and implications
The source headline links the volume rise to a jump in VLSFO, signalling that shifts in the marine‑fuel complex accompanied the quarterly increase in sales. The published report makes the connection between higher VLSFO activity and the port’s bunker volumes without supplying price series or quantified movements for specific grades in the data notes provided.
For traders, ship operators and bunker suppliers, the figures cited in the reports article will be read alongside other regional statistics as an indicator of changing demand patterns in northwest Europe. Antwerp-Bruges’s third‑quarter performance, as reported, restores a degree of momentum in bunkering activity for the port authority’s latest published quarter.
What the report covers and what it does not
The report, dated 23 October 2026, uses port authority data to set out the headline volumes and quarter‑on‑quarter change. It identifies the 2.16 million tonnes figure for Q3, the 2.05 million tonnes figure for Q2, the 5% rise and the fact that this was the port’s highest quarterly total since the first quarter of last year.
The article also notes that Antwerp-Bruges exceeded Rotterdam in bunker sales for that quarter and draws attention to a contemporaneous jump in VLSFO. The published summary does not include further granular detail such as monthly flows, individual supplier contributions or the precise scale of the VLSFO move, and readers seeking those particulars would need to consult the underlying port authority releases cited by the report.
Looking ahead
The quarterly numbers reported provide a snapshot of bunker activity through Q3 and will form part of the dataset market participants use when assessing supply and bunker availability in northwest European waters. Antwerp-Bruges’s return to a quarterly high, combined with the reported VLSFO movement, underlines the short‑term volatility that can affect bunker volumes and regional positioning among major ports.
Source: reports, 23 October 2026.
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