GoodFuels supplies first marine biofuel from Singapore

Dutch biofuels supplier GoodFuels has supplied marine biofuel to a vessel from Singapore for the first time since opening its office there, the firm announced on 16 August.

GoodFuels supplied a biofuels blend to Japanese shipping company NYK's bulk carrier MV Frontier Explorer.

The vessel received a bunker blend made of biofuels and very-low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) when it called at Singapore on 5 July, en route from Australia to India.

The operation was the first to be managed under the company's partnership with Japanese trading firm Itochu, which was announced earlier this year in May.

GoodFuels earlier supplied an NYK vessel with biofuels in 2019 in Rotterdam.

Biofuels are part of the marine industry's response to the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions from shipping. Other low-carbon bunker fuels that are being considered are ammonia, methanol and hydrogen.

In Singapore, a maximum of 24pc of biofuels is allowed in a bunker blend, which is also called B24. This is lower than in Europe or the US, with market sources saying this could be because of safety, quality and stability concerns.

By Sammy Six