Japan’s Marubeni Corp has carried out what it says is the first-ever bunkering of an ethylene carrier with biofuel.
It said its chartered-in 22,000-cbm GasChem Dollart (built 2020) conducted a trial voyage across the Atlantic using B25 marine biofuel supplied by BP.
The ship loaded the bunkers in the Dutch port of Vlissingen on 21 September, before heading to Morgan’s Point in Texas.
“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first biofuel supply to an ethylene carrier in the world,” Marubeni said.
The blend consisted of about 25% fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), with the rest being very low sulphur fuel oil.
Marubeni said the biofuel component reduced greenhouse gas emissions from the voyage, but did not specify the percentage cut.
FAME is more commonly known as biodiesel, which is produced mainly from recycled used cooking oils and renewable oil sources.
It is similar to conventional diesel and is biodegradable.
The voyage was aimed at understanding whether technical issues such as combustibility and stability arise when biofuel is used.
Marubeni provides logistics service for ethylene transport globally, and is one of the biggest players.
“This trial is one of our steps to provide solutions to our customers to achieve decarbonisation,” it said.
“Marubeni will continue to develop further services to support our customers’ needs towards decarbonisation.”
The origins and production of the FAME comply with the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification standard, Marubeni said.
The GasChem Dollart is owned by Germany’s Hartmann Schiffahrts and operated by GasChem Services of Hamburg.
