TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) have successfully completed the first biofuel bunker operation for a vehicle carrier in Singapore.
The MOL-operated car and truck carrier, Heroic Ace, was refuelled by TotalEnergies-supplied biofuel on June 11 2022 via ship-to-ship transfer, while the carrier performed cargo operations simultaneously. The biofuel has been consumed during the carrier’s voyage to Jebel Ali, in the United Arab Emirates.
The biofuel blend used in this trial composed of VLSFO (Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil) blended with 20 per cent second-generation, waste-based and ISCC-certified UCOME (Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester). From a well-to-wake assessment, the biofuel will reduce approximately 17 per cent of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions compared with conventional fuel oil.
The operation supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore.
MOL’s initial analysis of the vehicle carrier’s engine and machinery performance have demonstrated a high compatibility and safe use of the biofuel onboard the vessel.
Koichi Hirata, general manager, car carrier division of MOL, said: “MOL Car Carrier Division has been working on trial usage of biofuel during navigation in the European short haul trade for more than a year. Today we are very pleased to announce that we have expanded our actions to the long haul trades and successfully conducted a milestone voyage together with our valued partner, TotalEnergies. Along with various partnerships we have with TotalEnergies in many fields, this collaboration in the biofuel field means an important step for MOL. We will continue to accelerate efforts towards a low- and de-carbonised vehicle transportation sector and to develop services required by our customers.”
Laura Ong, general manager of trading and operations for Asia Pacific, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, based in Singapore, said: “We are delighted to work with frontrunners in green shipping, such as MOL, on the use of sustainable biofuels to reduce their vessels’ carbon footprint. For TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, we want to develop a sustainable, cost-efficient and low-carbon biofuel solutions for customers across different shipping segments. This partnership with MOL has allowed us to build on our amassed biofuels supply chain capabilities and operational success, to deliver this lower-carbon fuel to a new vessel type.”
