Spanish bunker sales fell again in June

Spanish bunker ports supplied 28pc less fuel in June than a year earlier as the Covid-19 pandemic reduced shipping traffic.

Among the country's main bunkering ports, Barcelona's sales took the biggest hit. The port supplied 59,000t in June, a 55pc year on year drop. Barcelona handled 45pc less liquid bulk tonnes, 23pc fewer twenty-foot container equivalent units (TEUs), but 9pc more dry bulk tonnes. only three cruise ships entered Barcelona in June, down from 76 a year earlier.

Barcelona and other bunkering ports also receive ships only for bunkering or for repairs.

Las Palmas remained the largest Spanish bunkering port in June, with its supply of 187,000t down by only 2pc from a year earlier. Sales were supported by 15pc growth in liquid bulk volumes. Dry bulk volumes fell by 3pc, and container TEUs by 8pc. The Canary Islands port is not a big destination for cruise ships, but the number of them entering the port doubled year on year to four.

The other Canary Island port of Tenerife supplied 27,000t, up by 6pc from a year earlier. Sales recovered after they dropped by 45pc on the year in May. Bunker demand got support from a 47pc rise in dry bulk volumes, although liquid bulk was down by 32pc and container TEUs down by 6pc. A significant increase in the number of cruise ships entering the port, from one to eight, could have added to demand.

Algeciras, which was Spain's largest bunkering port until last year, supplied 117,000t of fuel — a 35pc drop. Sales were pressured by a 6pc drop in liquid bulk, 19pc less dry bulk and 5pc fewer container TEUs. The port does not normally receive cruise ships.

In the first six months of the year Algeciras supplied 24pc less fuel, and Las Palmas' supply nudged up by 2pc.

Sales at Cueta fell by 14pc year on year in June, pulled down by 41pc less liquid bulk, and by 37pc less container TEUs. The north African enclave had no dry bulk or cruise ship traffic.

Spanish ports' June sales were an improvement from May, when the overall fell by 35pc year on year.

By George Collard and Erik Hoffmann