The first marine bio-VLSFO (very low sulfur fuel oil) bunker delivery to be carried out by TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has taken place in Singapore port’s waters. The delivery was part of NYK Line and Anglo American’s recently completed biofuel trial.
The delivery was supplied to the MT Friendship via a ship-to-ship transfer and consisted of a B10 biofuel blend made up of VLSFO blended with 10% second-generation, waste-based and ISCC-certified UCOME (used cooking oil methyl ester). The biofuel was used during the vessel’s two-way trip between Singapore and Saldanha Bay in South Africa.
Sourced from the circular economy, the UCOME bio component of the fuel allows a greater than an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional heavy fuel oil. As a result, the B10 biofuel delivered to the MT Friendship will provide a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of up to 10%.
Results of the sea trial proved that biofuel can be utilized by marine applications safely and without any modifications. During the trial, the vessel achieved smooth operational performance when using the biofuel, further demonstrating the fuel’s ability to help shipowners and operators to meet the carbon emissions reduction targets set by the International Maritime Organization.
The MT Friendship is a bulk carrier owned by Seanergy Maritime Holdings and chartered by NYK Line. It is responsible for transporting cargo provided by Anglo American.
For the sea trial, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels had to set up a local biofuel supply chain. This consisted of land storage, blending and the bunkering operation. Moving forward, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels aims to develop a range of fuel solutions to aid in the decarbonization of the shipping industry.
“We are delighted to partner with NYK Line and Anglo American for our first marine biofuel delivery in Singapore,” said Laura Ong, general manager of Trading and Operations for Asia Pacific, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, based in Singapore. “This trial has allowed us to initiate the structuring of a supply chain with local expertise to create a sustainable, cost-efficient and low-carbon biofuel offer for the shipping sector in the region,” Laura continued, “We will continue to conduct more bespoke trials with our customers and to ultimately provide a scalable solution of this lower-carbon marine fuel.”