Mitsui OSK Lines has successfully completed a trial using a blended biofuel supplied by TotalEnergies Marine Fuels for a car carrier voyage from Singapore.
The 6,400-ceu Heroic Ace (built 2003) bunkered the biofuel on 11 June in Singapore during cargo operations.
It ran on a blend of very low sulphur fuel oil and 20% second-generation used cooking oil for a voyage to Jebel Ali in Dubai.
Although MOL has used biofuel in Europe, this was the first time it had trialed it for a long-haul voyage.
The company said the biofuel blend reduced carbon emissions by 17%.
It added that the vehicle carrier’s engine and machinery performance demonstrated a high level of compatibility and safe use of the biofuel on board the vessel.
“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,” said car carrier division general manager Koichi Hirata.
“Today we are very pleased to announce that we have expanded our actions to the long-haul trades and successfully conducted a milestone voyage.”
MOL and TotalEnergies Marine Fuels are planning further projects as part of MOL’s bid to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Immediate and sustainable
The pair are promoting biofuel as an “immediate and sustainable solution” to decarbonise shipping.
Biofuels can be blended or dropped into existing conventional fuels with little or no technological developments required on vessels, they said.
TotalEnergies is investing in biofuels projects based on animal fat or used oils to limit the impact on arable land.
It is also targeting net-zero emissions by 2050 and has pledged to help shipping decarbonise through TotalEnergies Marine Fuel.
