Year to date · January–August 2026
8.67 million tonnes
August 2026 only
1.18 million tonnes
Full year 2025
12.7 million tonnes
Share of all cargo
2.4%
What the data say · August 2026
Spanish ports handled 8.67 million tonnes of fuel oil in the year to August 2026, 11.1% more than in the same period of 2025. In August alone, the figure was 1.18 million tonnes, 10% more than in August 2025.
By type of cargo, 96.1% travelled as liquid bulk and 3.9% as general cargo. The item accounts for 2.4% of all cargo passing through Spanish ports in that period.
In 2025, the latest year with a breakdown by port, traffic in fuel oil came to 12.7 million tonnes, 13% less than in 2024: 8.41 million tonnes unloaded and 4.31 million tonnes loaded. Foreign trade accounted for 67.6% and the rest was coastal shipping between Spanish ports. 27 of the 28 port authorities recorded movements of this commodity.
Bahía de Algeciras ranks first among port authorities with 2.95 million tonnes in 2025 (27.9% less than in 2024). It is followed by Las Palmas (2.61 million) and Cartagena (1.22 million). Together, the three account for 53.3% of the total.
The largest increases were recorded by Bahía de Cádiz (+3,351.9%), Ferrol-San Cibrao (+173.4%) and Castellón (+32.1%); the steepest falls by A Coruña (−57.1%), Huelva (−55.2%) and Bahía de Algeciras (−27.9%). The comparison is limited to port authorities that account for at least 1% of the total, so that an extreme swing at a small player does not distort the picture.
The rest of the top ten are Castellón (4th, 1.19 million, +32.1%), Barcelona (5th, 910,736 tonnes, −0.8%), Tarragona (6th, 879,511 tonnes, +0.1%), Huelva (7th, 750,257 tonnes, −55.2%), Ferrol-San Cibrao (8th, 574,184 tonnes, +173.4%), Bahía de Cádiz (9th, 462,308 tonnes, +3,351.9%) and Ceuta (10th, 385,047 tonnes, −7.0%).
At the bottom of the table are Marín y Ría de Pontevedra (62 tonnes), Gijón (34 tonnes) and Almería (15 tonnes), out of a total of 27 port authorities with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 69.8% of the total and 7 port authorities are enough to reach 80%, while the other 17 port authorities further down share the remaining 6.2%. 13 of the 25 port authorities with a comparison grew compared with 2024, 10 of them by double digits, and 12 fell.
Of the 8 months of 2026 with data, 6 are above the same month of 2025 and 2 below; over the last three months (June, July, August) the figure is up 8.2% on the same months of 2025; the largest year-on-year difference was in March (up 51.8%); the highest point in the series was August, at 1.18 M, and the lowest January, at 876,157.
Between 2011 and 2025 the figure went from 24.3 M to 12.7 M, a decrease of 47.7% over 14 years (−4.5% a year on average). The best year was 2017 (27.6 M) and the worst 2025 (12.7 M).
Top 10 · Fuel oil by port authority · 2025
Month by month · 2026 vs 2025
Annual series · fuel oil
Full table · 27 port authorities
| # | Port authorities | Total 2025 | Change on 2024 | Unloaded | Share | Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahía de Algeciras | 2.95 M | −27.9% | 1.55 M | 23.2% | Port |
| 2 | Las Palmas | 2.61 M | −16.3% | 2.19 M | 20.5% | Port |
| 3 | Cartagena | 1.22 M | +31.9% | 1.15 M | 9.6% | Port |
| 4 | Castellón | 1.19 M | +32.1% | 301,003 | 9.3% | Port |
| 5 | Barcelona | 910,736 | −0.8% | 720,422 | 7.2% | Port |
| 6 | Tarragona | 879,511 | +0.1% | 333,541 | 6.9% | Port |
| 7 | Huelva | 750,257 | −55.2% | 613,329 | 5.9% | Port |
| 8 | Ferrol-San Cibrao | 574,184 | +173.4% | 306,100 | 4.5% | Port |
| 9 | Bahía de Cádiz | 462,308 | +3,351.9% | 244,721 | 3.6% | Port |
| 10 | Ceuta | 385,047 | −7.0% | 375,314 | 3.0% | Port |
| 11 | Valencia | 227,047 | −15.4% | 137,834 | 1.8% | Port |
| 12 | Bilbao | 208,728 | −18.8% | 190,071 | 1.6% | Port |
| 13 | A Coruña | 182,035 | −57.1% | 167,093 | 1.4% | Port |
| 14 | Santa Cruz de Tenerife | 99,187 | −79.2% | 69,226 | 0.8% | Port |
| 15 | Melilla | 46,044 | +1.1% | 46,044 | 0.4% | Port |
| 16 | Motril | 11,438 | +1,143,700.0% | 11,438 | 0.1% | Port |
| 17 | Málaga | 7,752 | +0.8% | 2,464 | 0.1% | Port |
| 18 | Santander | 2,710 | +486.6% | 1,166 | 0.0% | Port |
| 19 | Avilés | 1,996 | +14.1% | 1,996 | 0.0% | Port |
| 20 | Alicante | 1,046 | +447.6% | 2 | 0.0% | Port |
| 21 | Sevilla | 916 | −38.4% | 158 | 0.0% | Port |
| 22 | Vigo | 601 | +1,206.5% | 477 | 0.0% | Port |
| 23 | Vilagarcía | 242 | +365.4% | 66 | 0.0% | Port |
| 24 | Baleares | 121 | −93.1% | 50 | 0.0% | Port |
| 25 | Marín y Ría de Pontevedra | 62 | — | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 26 | Gijón | 34 | −93.2% | 0 | 0.0% | Port |
| 27 | Almería | 15 | — | 15 | 0.0% | Port |
What this indicator measures
Fuel oil is the heavy fuel produced by refining; it is used mainly as ship fuel and in industry, and travels as liquid bulk. Puertos del Estado publishes every month the tonnes of this commodity loaded, unloaded or in transit across all ports of general interest, as a cumulative figure since January, and once a year the breakdown by port authority. Figures for the current year are provisional until the yearbook is published.
Context
Its traffic is tied to refineries and to ship fuel supply (bunkering), with Bahía de Algeciras, Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife among the busiest bunkering points. It should not be confused with ship supplies, which the statistics count separately.
Frequently asked questions
How many tonnes of fuel oil have Spanish ports handled this year?
8.67 million tonnes in the year to August 2026, 11.1% more than in the same period of 2025.
Which Spanish port handles the most fuel oil?
Bahía de Algeciras, with 2.95 million tonnes in 2025, 23.2% of the total.
How is this commodity carried: in bulk or as general cargo?
By type of cargo, 96.1% travelled as liquid bulk and 3.9% as general cargo in the year to August 2026.
When is this data updated?
Puertos del Estado publishes the data every month. Latest data available: August 2026.
Source
Puertos del Estado. To explore the data in detail, use PortStats · cargo by commodity, annual series or see the original source.