ANL, a subsidiary of French container and logistics shipping giant CMA CGM Group, has completed the first biofuel trial on a containerised shipping vessel within Oceania, reports Offshore Energy.
About the trial
The trial, undertaken on ANL’s AAX1 service was a 42-day rotation, commencing in Brisbane, travelling via Southeast Asia and then onto key Australian ports.
Australian retailer Woolworths Group has been a key partner in this biofuel trial, looking to invest in new opportunities to lower supply chain emissions across the board.
The trail voyage used a B20 biofuel blend with feedstock supplied by Queensland-based EcoTech while BP Marine and Port of Brisbane played a pivotal role in supplying and bunkering the blended fuel.
Investment
The Queensland Government has also supported the trial through its Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan which is building on the state’s emerging strengths in biofutures and biofuels to secure local jobs, demonstrating Queensland’s potential for clean energy investment.
The prospect of being able to transport goods with lower emissions could positively impact tens of thousands of consumers from this one sailing, according to ANL.
Leading Oceania’s container shipping energy transition with a biofuel powered voyage
With the success of the biofuel trial, ANL envisages this blend to be more broadly adopted in Oceania in line with the forthcoming International Maritime Organisation’s GHG regulations set to launch in 2023.
Sustainability is now said to be a strategic priority for more and more of the ANL’s customers as well, and CMA CGM launched in November 2020 ACT with CMA CGM+ to meet their needs and accompany its customers in their journey to decarbonize their shipments.
Bio-LNG – a solution on the path to net zero carbon
Setting the goal of achieving net zero carbon by 2050, ANL as a part of the CMA CGM Group is heavily investing in energy transition using the best technical solutions available today while proactively preparing for the future.
The CMA CGM Group already operates today 27 vessels “e-methane ready” and will have a total of 44 vessels by the end of 2024.
Today, the CMA CGM Group is also using biofuel onboard containerships that serve Intra-Europe.
Biofuel, together with alternative fuels such as LNG and biomethane among others, will make up 10% of the CMA CGM Group’s energy mix by 2023.
Official statement
“This voyage is a crucial step in not only our journey to net zero carbon but also the industry and region’s evolution to a cleaner and more sustainable way of working,” Shane Walden, Managing Director of ANL, said.
“We’ve already reduced our own emissions by 27 per cent on the path to becoming net carbon positive by 2050, and we want to expand our efforts beyond our own business to make our supply chains greener too… This biofuel trial is a first of its kind for our business and we’re optimistic about how we can work with innovative partners like ANL to make each link in the supply chain more sustainable for a better tomorrow,” Chris Brooks, Woolworths Group Director of Transport and Primary Connect, commented.
“Queensland has the potential to become a leading biofuel refueling station in the western Pacific. The Queensland Government played a key role in partnering with ANL for the trial. Using locally produced biofuel, the project allows ships to make immediate and significant reductions to their emissions, helping to protect marine life, biodiversity and the planet,” Steven Miles, Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, said, welcoming the ship to the Port of Brisbane.
“This is an exciting glimpse into a cleaner future for the shipping industry. We’re pleased to have worked closely with ANL, EcoTech, and BP Marine to make it happen. Only by working together can we make a genuine difference in reducing emissions and delivering a more sustainable port for the future,” Neil Stephens, Port of Brisbane CEO, pointed out.
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Source: Offshore Energy
