BHP, Oldendorff, GoodFuels trial biofuel in Singapore

A dry bulk carrier owned by German shipping company Oldendorff Carriers and chartered by UK-Australian resources firm BHP was refuelled in Singapore on 4 April with an advanced biofuel blend supplied by Netherlands-based biofuels producer GoodFuels.

The operation, supported by Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), was a trial to better understand how marine biofuels behave over long voyages. It is the first time an ocean-going vessel has been supplied with biofuel in Singapore and marks a key milestone in the industry's journey towards adopting low-carbon bunker fuels.

The companies said that the 2020-built 81,290 deadweight tonne dry bulk carrier Kira Oldendorff, which was heading from Australia to Europe, was refuelled in Singapore with "drop-in" advanced biofuel blended with conventional fossil fuels. The advanced biofuel blend reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 80-90pc on a well-to-exhaust basis compared with conventional marine fuels, using sustainable waste and residue streams as feedstock.

The trial will assess how the fuel affects engine and vessel operational performance, which will in turn allow BHP to develop "an informed strategy on the structural supply and use of biofuels to support BHP's key shipping routes", according to the company.

GoodFuels identified Singapore as a key hub to supply its base of customers in Asia, saying it will "facilitate a more structural supply of sustainable marine biofuels" to the city-state.

BHP and GoodFuels signed a letter of intent for a biofuel pilot project in Singapore back in 2017 at an event hosted by the MPA.

Future demand for alternative, low-carbon bunker fuels is expected to grow substantially with the International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) goals to reduce CO2 emissions by at least 40pc by 2030 and 70pc by 2050 compared with 2008 levels. Other alternative bunker fuels identified by the industry as being able to help meet the IMO goals include LNG, hydrogen, ammonia, methanol and LPG.

By Sammy Six