What role does Las Palmas play and why is it on this page?

Las Palmas (Canary Islands) is an Atlantic/islands hub and Spain’s other key bunker point. On indicative estimates it accounted for roughly 23% of Spanish bunker sales (2022). It suits ships moving between Europe, Africa and the Americas and on Cape of Good Hope routings. We pair it with Algeciras because a Spanish buyer often chooses between the "Strait" (Algeciras/Gibraltar) and the "Canaries" (Las Palmas) depending on the voyage. The comparison is meaningful on $/GJ because parcel density and quality differ.

Why compare fuel on $/GJ instead of $/MT?

Because you pay for energy, not mass. Two parcels at the same $/MT can deliver a different number of usable GJ per tonne: density, plus water, ash and sulphur, affect net specific energy. ISO 8217 gives a density-to-energy correlation with corrections. The calculator above reduces both quotes to $/GJ and shows the break-even — the $/MT at which the dearer fuel equals the cheaper on energy. Often the "cheap tonne" loses.

Are the volume figures on this page exact?

No, they are indicative. The bunker-sales volumes (e.g. ~3 Mt/yr for Algeciras, Las Palmas ~23% share for 2022, ~9.78 Mt for Spain in 2022) come from industry publications and are given as orientation, not exact contract data. Prices in the calculator are entered by you — we do not hardcode or publish a current $/MT as fact because it is volatile. For exact, current figures consult official port-authority statistics.

How does the Cape of Good Hope route affect port choice?

When traffic reroutes away from the Red Sea onto longer Atlantic passages (around the Cape of Good Hope), the need for a mid-Atlantic refuelling stop rises — and Las Palmas benefits as a natural point on that route. For ships staying on Mediterranean/European lines through the strait, Algeciras or Gibraltar is more convenient. So the choice is voyage-driven: "Strait" vs "Canaries". Also factor in possible queues at peak traffic and build this into the voyage plan.

Do I still need an independent survey and quantity reconciliation here?

Yes. An energy-price comparison answers "which offer is cheaper", but it does not replace quantity and quality control during the bunkering itself. Order an independent survey (tank-gauging or MFM, sampling per ISO 13739), reconcile the BDN against the actually received mass, and reduce volumes to 15°C. Use our MFM / Quantity Reconciliation and Bunker Survey for that — links in the tools block above.

Bunkering at Algeciras & Las Palmas — Strait/Atlantic-Islands Price Comparator

Operator-focused guide for bunker buyers, chief engineers and ops — Spain's two leading hubs

One page, two Spanish bunker hubs that are constantly compared with each other and with Gibraltar. Algeciras is Spain's largest bunker port and the de facto "Strait twin" of Gibraltar: both sit on the Strait of Gibraltar, share its dense vessel traffic, and compete on price, dues and service rather than on a fundamentally different product. Las Palmas (Canary Islands) is the Atlantic-islands hub: a natural refuelling stop on Europe–Africa–Americas trades and for ships routing around the Cape of Good Hope. Below is an embedded ISO 8217 $/GJ comparator: enter two real offers (your own $/MT prices, density, sulphur, water, ash) and compare them on energy, not on "price per tonne". All volume figures are labelled indicative with sources.

Open the $/GJ calculator ↗Compare with Gibraltar

Calculate the energy-adjusted price for Algeciras & Las Palmas

Enter two quotes (e.g. an Algeciras/Gibraltar offer vs a Las Palmas offer, or VLSFO vs MGO). The calculator reduces both to $/GJ using the ISO 8217 correlation and shows the true break-even. This neutralises density and quality differences between ports.

Energy-adjusted price ($/GJ) comparison

Fuel A

cheaper /GJ

Density @15°C, kg/m³

Sulphur, % m/mWater, % v/vAsh, % m/mPrice, $/MT

Net energy, GJ/t40.928

Energy price, $/GJ12.217

VLSFO-equiv. price, $/MT494.8

Fuel B

Density @15°C, kg/m³

Sulphur, % m/mWater, % v/vAsh, % m/mPrice, $/MT

Net energy, GJ/t42.870

Energy price, $/GJ16.795

VLSFO-equiv. price, $/MT680.2

Fuel A is cheaper by energy — 4.58 $/GJ (27.3%) less than the alternative.

Break-even: the dearer fuel matches it only at 524 $/MT.

Prices are not hardcoded — you enter your own quotes. The calculation runs in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.

Operator facts (indicative)

#1 ES

Algeciras — Spain’s largest bunker port

~3 Mt

Algeciras: marine fuel/yr (indicative)

~23%

Las Palmas: share of Spanish bunker sales (2022, indic.)

~9.78 Mt

Spain bunker sales, 2022 (indicative)

Strait

Algeciras = Strait twin of Gibraltar

Atlantic

Las Palmas = Canaries / Atlantic hub

Top-3 EU

Algeciras: LNG bunkering in Europe (indic.)

Cape

Las Palmas: demand up on Red Sea reroutes

Volumes and shares are indicative estimates from industry sources (see References). Do not treat them as exact contract figures; enter prices yourself.

Why these two ports matter

Algeciras and Gibraltar sit on opposite sides of the same body of water and serve the same vessel flow transiting the Strait of Gibraltar (tens of thousands of transits a year). For a ship crossing the strait, a bunker stop is a routine option because the detour is minimal. So the two ports compete on price, port dues and service rather than on different fuel — which is exactly where an honest $/GJ comparison, not "price per tonne", pays off.

Las Palmas plays a different role: an Atlantic/islands hub in the Canaries, handy for ships between Europe, Africa and the Americas and for Cape of Good Hope routings. As traffic rerouted away from the Red Sea onto longer Atlantic passages, refuelling demand at Las Palmas rose. Comparing a "Strait" offer against a "Canaries" offer only makes sense on energy: density and quality (sulphur, water, ash) differ between parcels.

Algeciras vs Las Palmas: how they differ

Algeciras (Strait)

Spain's largest bunker port, ~3 Mt/yr marine fuel (indicative).
Strait twin of Gibraltar: same vessel flow, competing on dues and price.
A European leader in LNG bunkering, incl. bio-LNG (indicative).
High MGO/LSMGO demand from international-trade vessels.

Las Palmas (Canaries / Atlantic)

~23% of Spanish bunker sales (2022, indicative).
Atlantic/islands hub: Europe–Africa–Americas, Cape of Good Hope route.
Demand rose with Red Sea reroutes and longer Atlantic passages.
Possible queues/waiting at peak traffic — build into the plan.

Why compare on $/GJ, not $/MT

Price per tonne hides what you actually pay for — energy. A high-density parcel carrying water/ash/sulphur can deliver fewer usable GJ per tonne than a 'dearer' but cleaner one. ISO 8217 gives a net-specific-energy-from-density correlation corrected for water, ash and sulphur. The calculator above reduces both quotes to $/GJ and shows the break-even: the $/MT at which the dearer fuel matches the cheaper on energy.

In practice: request quotes at Algeciras/Gibraltar and at Las Palmas, type the $/MT, density@15°C and sulphur/water/ash from each offer spec, and compare $/GJ. Often the "cheap tonne" loses on energy. Enter your own prices — we do not hardcode or publish any price as fact.

Buyer checklist for the port pair

Compare at least 3 quotes

Algeciras, Gibraltar, Las Palmas

Compare $/GJ, not $/MT

neutralises density and quality

Add dues and agency fees

all-in cost, not just product

Check ISO 8217 spec

sulphur, water, ash, density@15°C

Account for the detour

Strait = minimal; Canaries = per voyage plan

Check availability/queues

Cape/Red Sea traffic peaks

Independent quantity survey

tank-gauging / MFM, sampling

Reconcile BDN vs gauge

temperature correction to 15°C

Context: what drives demand

structural
Algeciras and Gibraltar sit on the same strait and share the transit-vessel flow; competition is on price, dues and service, not a different product.
2024
Red Sea reroutes: some Asia–Europe ships divert around the Cape of Good Hope; longer Atlantic passages lift refuelling demand at Las Palmas (indicative).
2025
Algeciras consolidates as a European LNG-bunkering leader, incl. bio-LNG; conventional VLSFO/HSFO/MGO remain the volume base (indicative).
takeaway
For an operator the "Strait vs Canaries" pair is a routing and honest-$/GJ question. Prices are volatile; compare your own live quotes in the calculator above.

MetaCAD tools for this port pair

Energy-adjusted price calculator ($/GJ)

The same tool embedded above — on its own page, ISO 8217

Gibraltar (Strait neighbour)

Algeciras’ direct Strait rival — compare the terms

Viscosity & temperature

Injection-temperature from viscosity — for receipt/transfer

MFM / Quantity Reconciliation

BDN vs gauge, temperature correction to 15°C, ROB fallback

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

In practice they are two bunker ports on the same Strait-of-Gibraltar waters under different jurisdictions (Spain and Gibraltar). They share the same transit-vessel flow and compete on price, port dues and service rather than a fundamentally different product. For a ship crossing the strait, bunkering at either is routine with a minimal detour. Algeciras is Spain’s largest bunker port (volumes indicative); Gibraltar is traditionally one of the Mediterranean’s largest bunker ports. The choice usually comes down to $/GJ price, product availability and dues — so compare quotes in the calculator above.

References

Dan-Bunkering — Algeciras, Spain (port & bunker overview) — Algeciras — Spain's largest bunker port, ~3 Mt/yr (indicative)
Manifold Times — Spain’s Algeciras claims third place in Europe’s LNG bunkering league — Algeciras — a European leader in LNG/bio-LNG bunkering (indicative)
Integr8 Fuels — Bunkering and Bunker Prices in Las Palmas — Las Palmas — key Atlantic bunker hub of the Canaries
Ballast Markets — Port of Las Palmas: Atlantic Bunkering & Fishing Hub — ~23% of Spanish bunker sales (2022) and demand growth on Red Sea reroutes (indicative)
Ship & Bunker — Algeciras Bunker Prices (live, you enter your own quote) — Live indicative prices — to source your own quotes for the calculator
Ship & Bunker — Gibraltar Bunker Prices (Strait neighbour) — Gibraltar prices — to compare with Algeciras on $/GJ

Compare offers on energy, not on price per tonne

Algeciras, Gibraltar and Las Palmas often differ in parcel density and quality. Enter your live quotes in the $/GJ calculator, find the break-even, and pick the fuel that is genuinely cheaper. Everything runs in your browser.

Open the $/GJ calculator Gibraltar

One report, every bunker check

Free bunker PDF report generator

Combine quantity (BDN vs measured + VCF), quality (ISO 8217), samples, seals and a Note of Protest in a printable web PDF. For a separate delivery record, Pocket on Android exports a PDF Evidence Pack with an integrity manifest.

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