Shipping Companies Continue to Experiment Using Biofuels in Operations

A growing number of shipping companies in different parts of the industry are continuing to experiment with the use of biofuels as a near-term means of improving the environmental performance of their operations, reported The Maritime Executive on July 06.  Made from reused oil, biofuel also provides the benefit of recycling an otherwise waste product. 

Among the companies reporting recent tests of the alternative fuel product were two of Japan’s largest shipping companies, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and NYK.  Anglo American as charterer of the NYK vessel also demonstrated the involvement of other parts of the supply chain.  In the U.K., both crewing vessels serving an offshore wind field and tugs on the Thames also joined the broader effort to test biofuels. The companies are exploring different forms of the sustainable product. 

MOL working through its subsidiary Euro Marine Logistics headquartered in Belgium started sea trials in June for one of its car carriers. The 11-year-old vessel City of Oslo (5,432 dwt) loaded approximately 370 tons of biofuel from supplier GoodFuels while at the Dutch port of Flushing. MOL highlighted the benefits that the fuel can be used on vessels without changing the engine specifications. The test is ongoing for the car carrier.