Panama bunker fuel sales rose to 453,397t in May, up 14pc from a year earlier and the highest total for any May since the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) began reporting in 2009.
Sales of very low-sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) climbed 13pc on the year to 276,907t. High-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) rose 6pc to 125,872t, while marine gasoil (MGO) surged 45pc to 50,618t, according to the ACP.
The jump could be attributed to an increase in transits by ocean-going vessels, which rose to 974 in May, up from 805 in May 2024 when drought conditions were still curbing traffic.
But May bunker volumes were lower than the peak of 498,814t recorded so far this year in March.
Starting 5 October, the Canal will launch a weekly net-zero transit slot for Neopanamax vessels. To qualify, ships must be capable of operating on fuels with lifecycle GHG intensity below 75g CO₂e/MJ. Eligible fuels include B2-B100 bio-bunker blends, green and grey ammonia, green methanol, grey LNG and grey LPG. Conventional fuels like VLSFO, HSFO and MGO fall outside the threshold at 87-89g CO₂e/MJ.
