Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Sanyo Kaiji Kabushiki Kaisha (Sanyo Kaiji) have begun a continuous three-month test navigation in Japan using biodiesel supplied by the Toyotsu Energy Corporation in tugboats operated by Sanyo Kaiji.
During the trial, biofuel will be supplied via ship-to-ship transfer by using a bunkering ship to supply the tugboats, a first for the Japanese maritime industry, the companies say. Three trials are planned by July 2022, supported by the Nagoya Port Authority.
Part of the biofuel supplied to the Sanyo Kaiji-operated tug Taharamaru at the Nagoya Port Garden Pier, Japan, on April 19, 2022, was produced using recycled waste cooking oil collected from domestic Toyota Group and Toyota Tsusho Group companies. The initiative has been designed to contribute to a circular economy by building a supply chain through local production and consumption.
The combustion of biofuels – produced using renewable biological organic resources (biomass) – results in virtually no CO2 emissions. This has resulted in increased demand for the commodity as the maritime industry seeks to reduce greenhouse gases by finding alternatives to polluting heavy oils.