Netherlands-based heavy lift specialist Jumbo is partnering with a marine biofuel company to trial biofuels for offshore support vessels
Jumbo has embarked on a joint initiative with compatriot sustainable biofuel company GoodFuels to trial marine biofuel oil in offshore support vessels, following similar trials with Danish bulk carrier Norden and French container line CMA CGM.
The partnership’s first action will be to deliver GoodFuels’ biofuel oil to Jumbo’s heavy-lift crane vessel Fairplayer ahead of a North Sea decommissioning project. Fairplayer measures 144.1 m in length and 14.1 m in breadth. It mounts two 900-tonne safe working load mast cranes and has a working deck area of 3,100 m2.
GoodFuels’ biofuel oil is derived entirely from forest residues and waste-oil products. It can be used with existing combustion engines without any modifications to tank or infrastructure, and is expected to deliver 80%-90% savings on CO2 emissions on a well-to-propeller basis, compared to traditional fossil fuels.
Jumbo director of operations and engineering Wout Janssens said “Jumbo has been developing pioneering solutions for ocean transportation for more than 50 years with sustainable innovation being one of our top priorities.
“We are, therefore, keen to work together with GoodFuels on this project,” he added, noting “By testing the biofuel oil, we are taking a major step towards a sustainably powered fleet.”
In an online statement Jumbo said “the partnership paves the way for a fossil fuel to renewables energy transition in the offshore support sector – removing infrastructure for fossil fuel production, while simultaneously accelerating the energy transition during that process.”
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