Integr8 Fuels’ latest Bunker Quality Trends Report finds that marine fuel quality remains broadly stable, but increasing variability at port and supply-chain level is changing where buyers face

risk.

The biannual report, covering fuel quality performance from February to July 2026, finds that global quality averages increasingly mask significant differences between ports, supply chains and fuel characteristics. Changes in crude flows, refinery slates and regional supply pools are contributing to more localised quality exposure.

Key findings include:

• Localised quality risk: Quality performance varies significantly by port, grade and supply chain, with global averages often masking higher-risk locations and specific quality characteristics.

• Changing fuel characteristics: Shifts in crude and product supply are changing the composition of local fuel pools, with sulphur, cold-flow properties, sediment and other characteristics varying across regions.

• Quality beyond specification: Energy content, density, water, sediment and additional heating or handling requirements can affect the value delivered, demonstrating that specification compliance does not necessarily capture the full commercial impact of a fuel.

• MGO flash point exposure: Flash point risk remains concentrated in specific supply chains, with significant differences between major barge-supplied hubs and smaller truck-supplied locations.

• Biofuel quality: Headline notification rates for biofuel blends remain elevated against conventional ISO reference grades, but much of the apparent exposure is linked to parameters that may not reflect contractual or operational risk.

Author quote: Chris Turner, Technical Manager at Integr8 Fuels

“The headline quality rates tell only part of the story. What stands out in this period is how concentrated the underlying variability has become. Risk is increasingly determined by the port, the supply chain and the characteristics of the available fuel pool, rather than by the global average for a grade. Buyers therefore need to look beyond specification and headline price to understand the value and operational implications of the fuel they are actually purchasing.”

The report also examines loss control in bunker procurement, showing how energy variance, density differences, additional heating and handling requirements can create costs that remain invisible when fuel is assessed solely against specification limits.

The findings reinforce the importance of using recent, granular quality data when selecting bunkering locations and supply chains, particularly where multiple procurement options are available.

Trusted by shipowners, operators and bunker buyers worldwide, the Bunker Quality Trends Report provides data-driven insights to support more informed fuel procurement and quality risk management.

The full report is free to download here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0yVKwk0