TotalEnergies and MOL Conduct First Biofuel Bunker Test
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, a Singapore-based bunkering services provider, and Mitsui O.S.K. Line (MOL), a Japanese shipping company, have completed the first biofuel bunker operation for a vehicle carrier in Singapore.
Support from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore made the local operation possible (MPA).
The MOL-operated car and truck carrier, Heroic Ace, was refuelled with biofuel provided by TotalEnergies via ship-to-ship transfer on June 11, 2022, while simultaneously performing cargo operations.
The biofuel was utilised during the ship's journey to Jebel Ali, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) was blended with twenty per cent of a second-generation, waste-based, ISCC-certified used cooking oil methyl ester for this test (UCOME).
According to a well-to-wake evaluation, biofuel will lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by roughly 17 per cent compared to traditional fuel oil.
Initial research by MOL of the performance of the vehicle carrier's engine and machinery indicated great compatibility and safe use of the biofuel onboard the vessel, according to a joint statement from the two firms.
Laura Ong, General Manager of Trading and Operations for the Asia Pacific, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, based in Singapore, commented: "We are delighted to work with frontrunners in green shipping, such as MOL, on the use of sustainable biofuels to reduce their vessels’ carbon footprint. For TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, we want to develop a sustainable, cost-efficient, and low-carbon biofuel solution for customers across different shipping segments."
Koichi Hirata, General Manager, Car Carrier Division of MOL, said: "MOL Car Carrier division has been working on trial usage of biofuel during navigation in the European short-haul trade for more than a year. Today we are very pleased to announce that we have expanded our actions to the long haul trades."
TotalEnergies and MOL believe that biofuels provide an immediate and sustainable answer to decarbonising shipping today, as they can be mixed or dropped into existing conventional fuels with few or no technological modifications to vessels.
As part of its goal to generate a new generation of biofuels for transportation, TotalEnergies is investing in biofuels projects based on animal fat or used oils, limiting competition for and impact on arable land.
These efforts support TotalEnergies' climate goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 with society.
In addition, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels is committed to accelerating the decarbonisation of the shipping industry through the provision of clean and low-carbon marine fuel solutions over the medium and long term.
The 'MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1', which includes achieving net zero emissions by 2050, positions biofuel as an effective alternative to fossil fuels. MOL Group takes a proactive approach in encouraging the development of clean alternative fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ocean transportation.
The two companies intend to continue expanding their cooperation to explore new cooperative efforts that encourage the introduction of alternative fuels that are clean and low in carbon emissions.
The Gas Agility and the Gas Vitality are bunker vessels co-developed by both firms for the supply of marine liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Northwest Europe and the Mediterranean.
Source: Offshore Energy
