Marine Biofuel Tests on Tankers Operated by Eastern Pacific Shipping
Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping has become the latest shipping company to test marine biofuel as an alternative to lowering emissions. According to the company, the test project is in line with its Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) Policy that calls for the testing and use of various alternative marine fuels to significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions.
The bunker took place in Dutch water on October 9 for the 2010-built 47,377 deadweight ton MR tanker M/T Pacific Beryl. GoodFuels supplied EPS with a residual-fuel equivalent Bio-Fuel Oil (BFO), which will be tested and analyzed on M/T Pacific Beryl as well as other classes of EPS managed ships.
“We are fully committed to investing in and taking action to lower our carbon footprint today,” said CEO Cyril Ducau. “We believe that sustainability begins with accountability, which is why we are taking a mixed marine fuel approach towards reducing our emissions. We are already implementing LNG and LPG across 30 of our newbuilds, but we need to look at other options for our existing fleet. Biofuels, such as the advanced, sustainable biofuels supplied by GoodFuels, provides us with a solution that matches our values and sustainability agenda. Our whole team is looking forward to the results of this trial and expects biofuels to be another example of not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.”
According to EPS, the trial highlights the need for shipowners and managers not to take a wait-and-see approach towards decarbonization. They believe that alternative marine fuels are essential transitional fuels that will pave the way towards industry-wide decarbonization.
Commenting on its trial program with EPS, Bart Hellings, Chief Operating Officer at GoodFuels, said, “This announcement marks yet another important milestone in accelerating the energy transition within shipping. Together, we are showing the shipping industry, and the world, that sustainable solutions to reduce the environmental impact of operations already exist on the market – and that advanced marine biofuels will play an important part in the future alternative fuel mix.”
The project with EPS is the latest in a series of tests the Dutch GoodFuels company has undertaken within the shipping industry. In May 2020, Stena Bulk completed a successful sea trial voyage using sustainable marine biofuel derived from forest residues and waste oil products. During a 10-day trial voyage, the 50,000 dwt MR tanker Stena Immortal ran on 100 percent biofuel during typical commercial operations testing the biofuel in tanks, storage, and burning it in the engines. According to Stena Bulk, the fuel proved to be a technically compliant alternative to the fossil fuel typically used for oceangoing tankers. Following the successful trial, Stena Bulk said it would increase the use of biofuel in its fleet depending on availability on its routes.