Toyotsu Energy Corporation successfully performed a trial with a tugboat operated by Sanyo for ship-to-ship bunkering of marine biodiesel fuel at the Port of Nagoya, reports Biofuels International.
This was the first attempt to supply biofuel using ship-to-ship bunkering in Japan.
Biofuel from waste cooking oil
The biofuel supplied to Sanyo Kaiji’s tugboat was partly derived from waste cooking oil collected from companies in Japan under the Toyota Group and Toyota Tsusho Group through collaboration between Toyota Tsusho and Daiseki Eco. Solution Co.
As a carbon-neutral marine fuel that can be used as it is in existing engines, it will serve to promote carbon neutrality in the maritime transportation industry, including companies operating coastal trading vessels, if a supply chain for regular use is established in Japan.
The maritime transportation industry accounts for about 2% of the world’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In 2018, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) adopted a strategy for reducing GHG emissions from ships and set a target of reducing GHG emissions by 50% compared to the 2008 level by 2050.
Moreover, the Japanese government has announced that it will reduce GHG emissions by 46% compared to the 2013 level by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and is promoting a shift to marine fuels from heavy oil and light oil, which are petroleum-derived, to alternative fuels under its Green Growth Strategy.
Switch to alternative fuels for ships
The Toyota Tsusho Group is focusing on efforts to switch to alternative fuels for ships.
Besides performing the first trial of biofuel operation by a marine fuel supply ship in Singapore in April 2021, the group also performed a biofuel operation trial for an oceangoing vessel of NYK Line in June 2021.
This time, the group plans to conduct a continuous biofuel supply trial over a period of approximately three months for tugboats of Sanyo Kaiji at the Port of Nagoya, which handles the largest volume of goods in Japan.
Through this initiative, the group will verify the effectiveness of using biofuel derived from waste cooking oil for coastal trading vessels.
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Source: Biofuels International
