ExxonMobil, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels conduct ship-to-ship bunkering of biofuel blends made with cooking oil components at the Port of Singapore
Do used cooking oils offer the right recipe for decarbonising shipping? Recent trials bunkering biofuel blends with cooking oil components have shown promising results at the Port of Singapore, according to two leading fuel suppliers. In one of the latest trials, ExxonMobil and Tata NYK Shipping completed a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of biofuel for a bulker at the port on 26 September.
Carrying a load of salt from Mundra, India to Vietnam, Tata NYK Shipping’s 58,000-dwt Sagar Moti made a stop at the port to refuel with a biofuel blend made from conventional 0.50% sulphur fuel with up to 25% waste-based fatty acid methyl esters (FAME). ExxonMobil said the resulting blend meets ISO 8217:2017, with the exception of FAME content, which complies with EN 14214. The bio-component has been accredited by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) organisation. ExxonMobil is already supplying marine biofuel in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) region, following a successful sea trial.
Captain Zareer Antia, Tata NYK senior GM, marine, technical & operations, said: “Marine biofuels have an important role to play in achieving Tata NYK’s sustainability goals. We are targeting to achieve approximately 20-22% CO2 emissions reduction compared with conventional petroleum-based HFO/VLSFO, calculated on an energy basis. As an engine-ready fuel, we already understand the storage, handling and treatment requirements of this fuel, which makes it an ideal choice for us. Tata NYK has been examining biofuels with continuous trials and is at the forefront in meeting its customer’s sustainability goals.”
“We are targeting approximately 20-22% CO2 emissions reductions”
ExxonMobil Asia Pacific commercial fuels sales director Haur-Bin Chua, said as an engine-ready fuel, the biofuel “can be used without the need for expensive fuel system or engine modifications, and can help provide ship operators with an immediate reduction in emissions, compared with full hydrocarbon alternatives.”
ExxonMobil plans to produce 200,000 barrels per day of lower-emission fuels by 2030.
ExxonMobil’s biofuel trial on the Panamanian-flag bulk carrier follows a number of successful trials completed by TotalEnergies Marine Fuels (TEMF) in 2021.
On 29 July, the 4,294-TEU CMA CGM Montoir completed an STS refuelling with biofuel made of VLSFO blended with 24% second-generation, waste-based and ISCC-certified UCOME (Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester).
TEMF general manager of trading and operations for Asia Pacific Laura Ong, said: “This latest project is further evidence of both companies’ long-term collaboration to explore and develop initiatives that promote the introduction of clean, low-carbon alternative fuels.”
This biofuel bunkering is the latest performed this year by TEMF in Singapore. Others include trials with a COSCO Shipping Lines container ship, a MOL-operated vehicle carrier and an NYK Line-chartered bulk carrier.
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