Unifeeder trials marine biofuel in Rotterdam

Danish shipping firm Unifeeder has successfully bunkered marine biofuel for the first time at the port of Rotterdam.

Unifeeder's Elbsummer short-sea containership was fuelled with a blend of marine biofuel produced fully from sustainable feedstock and 0.1pc sulphur marine gasoil (MGO) for a voyage from Rotterdam to Helsinki, Finland.

The biofuel was supplied by Amsterdam-based supplier GoodFuels, and was made from feedstocks labelled as waste or residue. They can reduce net carbon emissions by up to 90pc and eliminate sulphur emissions almost entirely, GoodFuels said, and can be used in ship engines without requiring any modifications.

This marks the first bio-bunkering operation between the two companies. GoodFuels has supplied marine biofuels to several shipowners for trials, mostly in Rotterdam and also in Singapore.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) wants the shipping industry to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 70pc by 2050 using a 2008 baseline. Unifeeder has committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 50pc, 10 years before that deadline, and is looking at natural gas as an alternative fuel to achieve that. Last week, it trialled synthetic natural gas (SNG) produced fully from renewable energy.

By Nana Kutin