D6 Fuel Oil Storage — Heated Tanks Network-Wide

Virgin Fuel Oil D6, also known as Distillate Fuel Oil No. 6 or Bunker C, is a heavy residual fuel oil — the thickest fraction remaining after crude oil is refined and lighter products have been extracted. It is characterised by its high viscosity, dark colour, and relatively high sulphur content, which requires desulphurisation for use in emission-controlled environments.

D6 is used extensively in large industrial applications including power generation at heavy fuel oil (HFO) power plants, marine bunker fuel for older or long-haul vessels, industrial boilers, and large-scale heating applications. It is valued for its high calorific value per unit volume and its cost competitiveness relative to lighter distillate fuels.

Storage of D6 requires heated tanks to maintain product fluidity for pumping, as the high pour point can cause the product to solidify at ambient temperatures. Our Rotterdam terminal provides steam-traced and electrically heated storage tanks with precise temperature control, ensuring the product remains pumpable and homogeneous throughout the storage period.

Transport is typically by vessel (bulk tanker), large road tanker, or barge on inland waterways. Our Rotterdam Maasvlakte location provides direct deep-water berth access for VLCC and Suezmax class tankers, as well as barge access for distribution into the Rhine river system.

Fuel oil storage is available at every terminal in our network — Rotterdam, Houston, Jurong, Fujairah, and Ningbo-Zhoushan — making D6 and related heavy fuel oil grades one of our most broadly available products. Our Fujairah terminal additionally offers direct vessel bunkering, positioning it as a key supply point for VLSFO and HSFO bunker fuel in the Middle East.