Marubeni has conducted a trial voyage on one of its chartered vessels using a marine biofuel blend, which, ‘to the best of our knowledge,’ says the company, ‘is the first biofuel supply to an ethylene carrier in the world,’ reports MarketScreener.
B25 marine biofuel trial
The trial saw the Morgan’s Point, Texas-bound ethylene carrier GasChem Dollart – which is operated by GasChem Services and is on long-term time charter to Marubeni – supplied with B25 marine biofuel in Vlissingen, the Netherlands on September 21, consisting of approximately 25% fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), blended with very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO). The biofuel blend was delivered at Vlissingen by, BP Europa SE – BP Nederland, a subsidiary of BP p.l.c.
‘The FAME component of the marine biofuel blend used in this trial led to a reduction in the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the voyage on a lifecycle, well-to-wake approach,’ said Marubeni. ‘Biofuel blends are particularly helpful as a “drop-in” solution available to existing fleets without the need for modifications to the engine or infrastructure in most applications.’
FAME component
FAME is a biofuel – more commonly known as biodiesel – which is largely produced from recycled used cooking oils and renewable oil sources, and has physical properties similar to those of conventional diesel and is biodegradable.
‘The origination and production of the FAME used in the trial is certified to the ISCC system – a leading multistakeholder certification scheme for biobased materials,’ said Marubeni. ‘This certification requires that sustainability criteria are followed throughout the supply chain – including the tracing of the waste feedstock from point of generation, through processing, transportation and delivery of the final biofuel.’
Marubeni said the voyage was aimed at understanding ‘whether technical issues such as combustibility and stability arise when biofuel is used.’
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Source: MarketScreener
