Biofuels News

Hapag-Lloyd and DHL Global Forwarding have signed a three-year framework agreement for the purchase of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions resulting from the use of sustainable marine fuels within Hapag-Lloyd’s fleet.As part of this agreement, the first order of 25,000 tons CO2e well-to-wake (WTW) emission avoidance was successfully executed in July 2025 with second-generation biofuels produced from waste and residue feedstock.“We are delighted to have completed this order with DHL…

Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) has completed a joint demonstration with Singapore-based Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) that verified the long-term use and storage of biofuel onboard ships, confirming its technical safety and sustainable usability.The six-month trial, as part of Project LOTUS, involved continuous use of B24 biofuel on a pure car and truck carrier. Tests showed no adverse effects on engine performance or fuel supply systems, no signs of equipment wear or corrosion…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has completed the biofuel bunkering operation for its capesize bulk carrier Lambert Maru in Singapore, with the vessel now underway on its first biofuel-powered voyage carrying cargo for Anglo American.The 292-meter-long Lambert Maru, which has a deadweight tonnage of 180,432 MT, loaded the biofuel on September 14.MOL said the voyage forms part of its ‘Blue Action Net-Zero Alliance’ carbon inset program framework, which aims to achieve net-zero emissions in maritime transportation.

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) has released a new report describing the world’s first field validation of tracer technologies in marine biofuel supply chains.Conducted in Singapore, Rotterdam, and other major bunkering hubs, the trials demonstrated that tracers can be integrated into existing marine biofuel supply chain practices without disrupting operations or compromising fuel quality.The trials assessed three distinct tracer candidates and found the organic tracer to be the most practical solution for tracking authenticity and quantity of biofuels…

Taiwan’s U-Ming Marine Transport Corporation has announced that its 64,000dwt bulk carrier, Asian Progress, has successfully completed its first bunkering operation of B24 biofuel (FAME B24) at the Port of Singapore.The vessel is U-Ming’s first vessel to adopt biofuel, with the company aiming to be net-zero emissions by 2050.The bunkering operation was supplied by TFG Marine, with a total volume of 300 metric tons. It is expected to reduce well-to-wake carbon emissions by approximately 20% compared to conventional marine fuel.Since 2023…

Svitzer has signed a global EcoTow agreement with the Wallenius Wilhelmsen group. The agreement marks a step in Svitzer’s decarbonization journey and supports Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s ambition to reduce Scope 3 emissions across Svitzer’s global operations.The agreement covers tug jobs across key markets such as Australia, the UK, and Scandinavia. By applying the mass balance principle, Svitzer can use biofuels across its network and bank the resulting CO₂ savings in its emissions ledger.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has completed a biodiesel-blended marine fuel (biofuel) bunkering on its capsize bulk carrier, Midnight Dream.In March 2025, the vessel was supplied with about 1,000 tons of biofuel in Singapore, initiating MOL’s first biofuel utilization in collaboration with BHP Group on a capesize bulk carrier.Biofuel is made from organic resources (biomass) of biological origin, such as agricultural residues and waste cooking oil.The biofuel bunkered in the most recent operation is a blend of about 24% biodiesel (B24) with Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO)…

Licensed bunker tankers operating in the Singapore port will be allowed to carry and deliver up to 30% blended marine biofuel (B30) from Friday, a circular from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) showed.Conventional tankers were previously allowed to carry a maximum of 24% blended biofuel.The move was in line with an update to the latest requirements for carriage of biofuel blends by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), the MPA circular said.However, bunker suppliers and craft operators will still be required to seek approval from th

In partnership with Catalina Express and Harbor Breeze Cruises, the Port of Los Angeles will soon begin emission-reduction technology demonstration projects for specialized harbor craft, thanks to a $31 million grant awarded by the California Air Resources Board (CARB).The Los Angeles Marine Emission Reduction (LA MER) project will involve the design, construction and launch of a passenger ferry with Tier 4 engines and potentially a CARB-verified, U.S. Coast Guard-approved diesel particulate filter.Operated by Catalina Express…

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonization (GCMD) has introduced a new technique that creates a fingerprint for Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) biofuels that can identify the origins of the fuel's feedstock.The shipping industry is increasingly using biofuels, such as FAME, to reduce its GHG emissions. However, concerns have arisen regarding the legitimacy of biofuels and whether they are truly sustainable. Industry bodies are seeing a rising number of cases mislabelling biofuels purported to be made from recycled oils and fats…

An Australian-led scientific breakthrough to increase oil yield from plants is expected to advance the production and use of biofuels globally. Oils from plants are typically produced in seeds and fruits, but scientists from Australia’s research agency CSIRO studied how to extend that to the biomass of the plant, including the leaves and stem. CSIRO’s Dr Thomas Vanhercke, who has been working on the project for more than a decade, believes the technology has the potential to create…

The Baltic Sea's irst green freight corridor has been launched, allowing for the transportation of Felix ketchup to Finland with a 90% reduction in emissions. This initiative, a collaboration between Orkla Suomi, Scandic Trans, and Viking Line, features a scheduled freight service powered by biofuel.Since July, Felix ketchup, produced by the Orkla Group in Fågelmara, has been shipped to Finland using biofuels. The process begins at the largest ketchup factory in the Nordic region, where Scandic Trans trucks transport the product to Viking Line’s terminal in Stadsgården, Stockholm.

Danish shipowner Norden announced it has entered into an arrangement with Australian mining company BHP to use biofuel as a means to reduce vessel emissions.Norden said it will use approximately 1,000 tonnes of 100% biofuel (B100) during a voyage from Hay Point, Australia to Rotterdam, Netherlands on the Capesize vessel Nord Steel. This will be the largest quantity of biofuel used on a single voyage by Nor den, anticipated to reduce a total of 2,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions compared to an equivalent voyage using conventional fossil maritime fuel.BHP’s Head of Maritime…

MAN Energy Solutions has announced a new generation of its Common Rail injection system for its medium-speed, four-stroke engine portfolio.Its core components comprise an optimised and uniform high-pressure pump and a newly developed injector, integrating the CR 1.6 valve group and making the entire system setup more coherent. It is initially being introduced via the MAN 49/60DF engine.MAN Energy Solutions reports that CR 2.2 can boast of up to 38% increased rail-pressure for all applications, and over 33% increased target time-between-overhaul intervals for most components.

Hong Kong headquartered ocean carrier Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd. (OOCL) said it is running its ships biofuel as a means to reduce emissions from its operations.The company, which has been using biofuel on some of its vessels since 2023, said it has partnered with customers IKEA and Kyocera for the most recent trial voyage, which commenced in early August. The fuel used on the voyage is a B24 biofuel blend, with ISCC certified Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester as a component in the VLSFO.By substituting fossil fuels with biofuels…

The FuelEU pooling mechanism introduces a new economic incentive to accelerate adoption of biofuels, according to OceanScore.The company has identified tangible savings on the cost of compliance with FuelEU Maritime that can be made through burning biofuels to generate surpluses for vessel pooling.This enables companies to capture financial gains from overcompliance with carbon intensity reduction targets.Albrecht Grell, Managing Director of OceanScore, says FuelEU can understandably be seen as annoyingly complex and just another cost burden for shipping…

TotalEnergies has supplied its first B100 biofuel bunker in Singapore, marking an expansion in its low-carbon fuels offer in an effort to support the decarbonization goals of global shipping.On August 5, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels used an IMO Type II chemical bunker tanker, MAPLE, owned by Global Energy Group, to transfer 700 metric tons (mt) of the 100% Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester (UCOME-based) biofuel to a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC), Glovis Cosmos, which is owned by Hyundai Glovis.The UCOME biodiesel supplied is a second-generation…

Swire Shipping has successfully completed a sustainable B24 biofuel trial after bunkering a container ship operating on its Sun Chief Express Ocean service in Hong Kong.A collaboration with UWL, the Sun Chief Express Ocean service directly connects Vietnam to the United States and is the fastest in the market, with express connections into the heart of North America and Cambodia, Indonesia and Thailand.MV Suva Chief was bunkered in Hong Kong with sustainable B24 biofuel, a blend of sustainable biodiesel of waste origin and conventional fuels.

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) has successfully completed its final supply chain trial for biofuel blended with very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO).This marks the end of a series of trials initiated in July 2022 as part of a larger pilot to develop a framework to provide quality, quantity and GHG abatement assurances for drop-in fuels.In this final trial, bp provided the B30 biofuel blend to the TIHAMA, a 19,870 TEU container vessel operated by Hapag-Lloyd.The…

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) has released a report, “Tracking the Propensity of Biofuels Degradation Across the Maritime Supply Chain.”The report includes findings from tracking the quality of FAME and FAME blends as they make their way through the supply chains and on consumption onboard vessels.Unlike conventional marine fuels, FAME-based biofuels can be unstable since its natural oils and fats can slowly oxidize when exposed to atmospheric oxygen. When oxidation happens…

On May 2, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) began a long-term biofuel test run on its VLCC Tenjun. The vessel received an initial supply of biofuel in Singapore and will continue to use biofuel for approximately three months to comprehensively verify the safe and stable procurement of biofuel for long-term use.NYK has conducted many short- and long-term safety trials of biofuel use on bulk carriers, car carriers, and LPG carriers, but this is the first time an NYK-operated VLCC has engaged in a long-term biofuel trial.

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) has teamed up with NYK Line to launch Project LOTUS (long-term impact of continuous use of biofuels on vessel operations).This six-month project will trial the continuous use of a biofuels blend comprising of 24% Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) and very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) onboard a short-sea vehicle carrier that will call at multiple ports. The use of a vessel plying short-sea routes will allow regular access to fuels stored onboard for sampling and testing during frequent port calls.FAME…

Greek shipping company Carras (Hellas) has received the ABS Biofuel-1 notation for its Aquataurus ultramax bulk carrier, the first vessel in the world to qualify.The notation is assigned to vessels that use a biofuel blend of up to and including 30% biofuel in compliance with IMO and ABS requirements.Biofuels are liquid hydrocarbon fuels with similar composition and properties to fuel oil, but they are produced from renewable sources such as crops, agricultural and forestry waste…