KPI OceanConnect and Uni-Tankers collaborate on successful biofuel trial
Uni-Tankers, a leading tanker shipping company, and KPI OceanConnect, a leading global marine energy solutions provider have completed the successful supply and trial of a bespoke blend of B30 biofuel on Uni-Tankers’ M/T Alsia Swan, according to the company's release.
The trial took place in Amsterdam on board Uni-Tankers’ 5,700 DWT chemical tanker M/T Alsia Swan. KPI OceanConnect arranged for the supply of 34,000 litres of bio grade fuel containing a 30% blend of FAME (fatty acid methyl esters). The fuel supply was part of a two-day trial, which saw emissions for the biofuel measured and compared with emissions for LSMGO under the same conditions.
Throughout the trial, tests were carried out at four different loads to assess the reliability and performance of the bio-fuel blend.
Alongside trials of the B30 biofuel, Uni-Tankers ran identical operations for an LSMGO fuel of equal quality, allowing accurate comparisons of the B30 biofuel performance. Sampling and analysis for the trial was performed by a team from FORCE Technology. In results from the trial, Uni-Tankers saw particulate matter (PM) emissions reduced by as much as 42% when fuel supply was switched from LSMGO fuel to B30. Carbon monoxide (CO) emissions were also reduced by 18%. By using a blend of 30% biofuel and 70% fossil MGO, M/T Alsia Swan can cut lifecycle emissions of CO2 by an equivalent amount.
