BHP and Oldendorff Carriers have conducted the first marine biofuel trial involving an ocean-going vessel bunkered in Singapore.

The 81,290-dwt Kira Oldendorff (built 2020), on charter to BHP, took on the bunkers on 4 April 2021 which saw the biofuel blended with conventional bunkers.

The German shipowner said some modifications to the vessel were carried out to enable the vessel to burn the biofuel blend efficiently, while monitoring instruments were installed to capture the trial data as accurately as possible.