Marubeni's vessel conducts a trial voyage using a marine biofuel blend
Marubeni Corporation has conducted a trial voyage on one of Marubeni’s chartered vessels using a marine biofuel blend, from Vlissingen, the Netherlands to Morgan's Point, Texas, USA, according to the company's release. This is the first biofuel supply to an Ethylene Carrier in the world.
The ethylene carrier GasChem Dollart was supplied with B25 marine biofuel in Vlissingen, the Netherlands on September 21 2022, consisting of approximately 25% fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), blended with very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO). The biofuel blend was delivered at Vlissingen by, BP Europa SE - BP Nederland, a subsidiary of BP p.l.c. GasChem Dollart, operated by GasChem Services, is on long term time charter to Marubeni.
The FAME component of the marine biofuel blend used in this trial led to a reduction in the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the voyage on a lifecycle, well-to-wake approach. Biofuel blends are particularly helpful as a “drop-in” solution available to existing fleets without the need for modifications to the engine or infrastructure in most applications.
FAME is a biofuel - more commonly known as biodiesel - which is largely produced from recycled used cooking oils and renewable oil sources. FAME has physical properties similar to those of conventional diesel and is biodegradable. The origination and production of the FAME used in the trial is certified to the ISCC system – a leading multistakeholder certification scheme for biobased materials. This certification requires that sustainability criteria are followed throughout the supply chain – including the tracing of the waste feedstock from point of generation, through processing, transportation and delivery of the final biofuel. The Voyage was aimed at understanding whether technical issues such as combustibility and stability arise when biofuel is used.
Marubeni is providing logistic service for Ethylene transportation globally and is one of the biggest players in the Global Ethylene Market. This trial is one of our steps to provide solutions to our customers to achieve Decarbonization. Marubeni will continue to develop further services to support our customer’s needs towards Decarbonization.
