Wärtsilä, GoodFuels Marine, and Boskalis are a part of the consortium, whose main purpose is to increase the growth of sustainable, scalable and affordable marine bio-fuels. The consortium with the three big companies will be the heading the two year pilot program for a better outcome of marine bio-fuels.
The objective of the program mainly lies in the discovery of a suitable marine biofuels, obtaining industry certification and preparing the building blocks for an extensive and huge production. Besides, the consortium will also embark on a global scalability study in concurrence with varied stakeholders like leading ship owners, universities, NGOs, ports, bio-fuel companies and others. Also plans are ahead to figure out a real chance for scaling supply to the world’s commercial shipping fleet.
Wärtsilä will work on the testing of varied bio-fuels made from the industrial waste streams in Vaasa, Finland prior to the ‘sea-trails’ in Boskalis’ fleet. The program is focused on developing a fuel mix and promoting a reduced carbon footprint up to 90 percent when compared to fossil fuels.
Theo Baartmans, COO of Boskalis, commented:
“We strongly believe in the need for sustainable “drop in” marine bio-fuels and their potential as part of the long term fuel mix, as we see them as an important means of improving the sustainability of the industry. Participating in this pilot and making our vessels available is in line with Boskalis’ approach to seeking innovations that work hand in hand with sustainability.”
GoodFuels Marine is a company based in the Netherlands specializing in sustainable marine fuels. The company’s CEO, Dirk Kronemeijer, added:
“We believe that the international shipping market is now ready and well-placed to embrace truly sustainable, long-term alternative fuels that can meet all stringent technical, economical and sustainability standards, just as witnessed in the sustainable jet fuel market five years ago. As the shipping industry seeks means of contributing towards carbon and wider emissions reduction, we are hugely excited to be part of such a strong consortium with the expertise and motivation needed to achieve this bold mission.”
Source: Wärtsilä
