The UK Department for Transport has published the first provisional release of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) statistics for 2026, covering the supply of renewable fuels for January to December 2026 and dated 19 August 2026.
What the release contains
The publication, titled Official Statistics: Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) statistics 2026: First provisional release, presents provisional official statistics on renewable fuel supply for the calendar year 2026 and was issued by the Department for Transport. The notice confirms the reporting period as January to December 2026 and sets out the department's initial estimates for the year.
The document is described as a first provisional release, signalling that the figures are preliminary and may be updated in later releases as further data are validated and reconciled. As such, the release establishes a formal record of supply for the full 2026 year while leaving room for subsequent revisions that are normal in annual statistical series.
Relevance to maritime and bunkering interests
Although the release covers renewable fuels across the transport sector, the reported supply volumes for 2026 will be of interest to maritime stakeholders, including operators and suppliers involved in marine fuel procurement and bunkering. The RTFO statistics provide a government account of renewable fuel availability in the UK market for the calendar year, information that can be used alongside other commercial and regulatory data when assessing fuel transition pathways.
Ports, bunkering suppliers and ship operators may use the provisional supply figures as one input among many when planning fuel logistics and assessing the short-term availability of renewable alternatives. The provisional nature of the release means the figures should be treated as an early indicator rather than a finalized audit, but they establish a baseline for 2026 against which future changes and finalised statistics can be compared.
Industry analysts and trade bodies that monitor low‑carbon fuel uptake will commonly review such official statistics to understand market supply dynamics and to align commercial decisions with policy signals. The RTFO series is a recognised government dataset and the 2026 provisional release will form part of that publicly available record for the year.
Provisional status and next steps
The Department for Transport’s designation of this publication as the first provisional release implies that subsequent updates are expected as the statistics are finalised. Further releases in the statistical programme typically consolidate additional submissions and corrections, and the department may issue later provisional or final figures in accordance with its publishing timetable.
For readers seeking the figures themselves, the Department for Transport published the item on 19 August 2026 under the title noted above; stakeholders requiring the numerical detail should consult the department’s release to view the provisional entries and any accompanying commentary or methodological notes provided with the tables.
The 2026 first provisional release places an official, dated entry in the annual RTFO statistical record and will be referenced by those tracking the supply of renewable fuels through the calendar year. The maritime sector and related supply-chain interests will treat these provisional statistics as an initial, authoritative source that will be supplemented by later updates as the statistics are finalised by the department.