With the introduction of ECO Bunkers B15, green fuel for ships with 15% biofuel incorporation, PRIO took the first step towards decarbonizing maritime transport in the Iberian Peninsula. Now, PRIO is announcing a new partnership, this time international and with a mixture of richer biofuels (B30, 30% renewable base material), as reported by Renewable Energy Magazine.
Sustainable biofuels
This significant accomplishment was made possible thanks to Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd., a world leader in the cruise industry, and World Fuel Services. PRIO, one of Europe’s top producers of sustainable biofuels from waste materials, solidifies its position as a leader in Portugal’s energy transformation in the maritime industry.
The ECO Bunkers B15, introduced by PRIO at its Biofuel Factory in Aveiro, were, at the time, the first highly innovative solution. They were created using waste raw material recycling processes, and they allowed for a reduction in CO2 emissions and consumption of up to 18%, as shown by projects done with port communities in the Aveiro region. New collaborations with mixtures richer in biofuels have been celebrated, such as the ECO Bunkers B20, which supplies the fleet of the Port of Leixões, in order to improve the sector’s commitment to decarbonization.
New partnership
PRIO is now announcing the first supply of ECO Bunkers B30 in Portugal as part of this new partnership with the cruise line Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings. This fuel contains a higher percentage of biofuel incorporation, allowing for a greater reduction in CO2 emissions. This means that PRIO is able to fully control the entire production process of its biodiesel solutions, including the final specifications, in order to fully comply with all standards for high quality.
This new fuel, called ECO Bunkers B30, is a combination of 30% advanced biofuel made from waste feedstocks that are manufactured at a biodiesel facility and combined at a tank terminal owned by PRIO in Aveiro. Due to the versatility of this blending method, it is feasible to scale production in accordance with demand and modify the proportion of biodiesel blends (up to a 100% renewable product, allowing for a maximum GHG reduction of 86%) in accordance with client needs and sustainability goals.
Norwegian Star
Two Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings cruises received a total of 400 tonnes of B30 (a combination of 70% ULSD Diesel and 30% Biofuel) from PRIO on November 27 and December 7, 2022, thanks to the assistance of World Fuel Services. A ship in the fleet, the Norwegian Epic, followed with another 200 tonnes of ECO Bunkers B30 the next week. The first cruise, the “Norwegian Star,” took advantage of a stopover in Lisbon to supply 200 tonnes of ECO Bunkers B30.
After these stopovers at the Cruise Terminal from Lisbon, the PRIO ECO Bunkers B30 fuel allowed the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings fleet to reduce CO2 emissions by about 30%, or 440 tonnes of CO2 averted.
“Advanced biofuels, created from leftover raw materials, that is, the product of the circular economy, are the solution of the present and that allows us to promptly face the expanding needs of our consumers,” says Luis Nunes, member of the Executive Committee of PRIO, regarding this relationship. These “drop-in” solutions provided for an instant impact without the need for extra investment because they did not require any changes to the cruise ships’ engines or tanks of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.
“We are going through a crucial moment in the world’s response to climate and biodiversity emergencies, so PRIO believes that we can already accelerate the energy transition if we increase the contribution of advanced biofuels in the maritime sector .”
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Source: Renewable Energy Magazine
