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SSI publishes white paper on bunker fuel sustainability amid global effort to decarbonise

Paper outlines 13 sustainability issues and principles to be taken into consideration to ensure the marine fuels industry is investing in the right infrastructure.
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The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) on Monday (8 February) published a white paper setting out sustainability issues and principles surrounding marine fuels under consideration for shipping’s decarbonisation.

The paper, titled Defining sustainability criteria for zero and low carbon marine fuels, outlines thirteen sustainability issues and principles to be taken into consideration to ensure that the marine fuels the industry is investing in, purchasing and using to transport cargo are sustainable over their entire lifecycle and not causing negative impacts.

The sustainability principles and criteria will feed into the development of industry standards and third-party certification schemes to assure and facilitate the selection of – and demand for –sustainable marine fuels.

As the industry transitions to zero emission shipping, stakeholders across the shipping value chain are increasingly aware of the need to better understand the sustainability issues surrounding the zero and low carbon marine fuels under consideration, noted SSI.

The sustainability principles and criteria can be used by stakeholders across the shipping value chain ranging from shipowners (as fuel purchasers); fuel producers and suppliers; shipping customers; regulators; and investors in zero emission shipping.

SSI said the white paper was developed in consultation with its members and industry stakeholders to identify the sustainability issues and principles around the zero and low carbon marine fuels currently under consideration.

In parallel, academic research conducted in partnership with Copenhagen Business School (CBS) Maritime through the Green Shipping Project will further test, challenge and/or validate SSI’s work, providing a robust evidence base to inform a final set of principles and criteria to be released later this year.

Through this white paper, the SSI said it hopes to spark debate and dialogue around sustainable marine fuels as part of the industry’s decarbonisation journey and invites all interested stakeholders to engage by sharing their feedback.

“Selecting zero and low carbon marine fuels is not just about price, availability and technical feasibility. They must also be sustainable over their entire lifecycle – including the operations around the production, transport, storage, handling and use of marine fuels,” said Nicole Rencoret, Head of Partnerships and Development, Sustainable Shipping Initiative.

SSI invites industry stakeholders to join us as we work towards facilitating standard setting and putting in place certification schemes to assure marine fuels’ sustainability.”

“While it is important that zero-carbon vessels are commercially viable, technically feasible and safe, the sustainability of new fuels also needs to be equally considered,” added Katharine Palmer, Global Sustainability Manager, Lloyd’s Register.

“SSI’s new paper raises the importance of the sustainability of future zero-low carbon fuels from a lifecycle perspective – bearing in mind the impacts from primary feedstock, production processes, transport, storage and operational use, so the problem isn’t moved elsewhere in the supply chain.”

“This SSI white paper seeks to close a knowledge gap that is widely recognised by the parties who will have to implement the move to an alternate fuel/s,” said Simon Bennett, General Manager – Sustainable Development, The China Navigation Company.

“In making this move, the parties must avoid the “leakage” issue that was found with implementing the Montreal Protocol [on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer in 1987], in which responsible organisations, in changing to a lower ODP substance in one area inadvertently increased the Global Warming Potential of the substitute in another area.

“This white paper proposes the wide range of sustainability issues to be considered. We expect that by mid-2021, in cooperation with CBS, we will have robust data to support the next steps; the development of quantitative sustainability requirements for each criterion, and then engagement with competent external parties to certify these.”

Photo credit: Sustainable Shipping Initiative
Published: 9 February, 2021

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Alternative Fuels

MOL inks bio-LNG bunker fuel supply deals with Titan and Axpo for car carriers in Europe

Titan, part of Amsterdam-based Molgas, will continue to supply bio-LNG fuel in Northwest Europe, while Axpo will take charge of supply in the Mediterranean region.
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June 19, 2026

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MOL inks bio-LNG bunker fuel supply deals with Titan and Axpo for car carriers in Europe

Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) on Thursday (18 July) said it has signed new supply agreements in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean region to expand the use of bio-LNG marine fuel on MOL-operated LNG-fuelled car carriers.

Titan, part of Amsterdam-based Molgas, will continue to supply bio-LNG fuel in Northwest Europe, while Axpo will take charge of supply in the Mediterranean region.

MOL said the agreement makes it possible for its company to supply bio-LNG fuel for automobile carriers in the Mediterranean region, specifically Port of Malaga and Barcelona in Spain, following the bio-LNG fuel supply agreement in Western Europe, which commenced in March last year.

The bio-LNG fuel to be supplied in this initiative has a lifecycle carbon intensity (carbon dioxide emissions per unit of energy consumption) of -15 g-CO2/MJ or less, from production through consumption. Furthermore, this bio-LNG fuel has obtained International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC-EU). 

“Through this supply agreement, MOL has established a framework that ensures a continuous and stable supply of bio-LNG fuel not only in Northern Europe but also in the Mediterranean,” the company said.

As part of the group’s efforts to adopt alternative fuels and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is utilising LNG-fuelled vessels as a bridge solution to facilitate the transition to carbon-neutral fuels such as bio-LNG and synthetic LNG (e-methane).

In 2025, MOL signed a bio LNG fuel supply agreement in Northwest Europe with Titan, part of the Molgas, and MOL has continued this bio LNG fuel supply agreement with the same company in 2026 as well.

 

Photo credit: Mitsui OSK Lines
Published: 19 June, 2026

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Biofuel

Kvasir Technologies lands EUR 10 million to scale bio bunker fuel production

The Danish biofuel startup raised the fund in a Series A investment round, which will provide capital to develop and design a new commercial production plant and scale climate-neutral drop-in marine fuel.

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Kvasir Technologies lands EUR 10 million to scale bio bunker fuel production

Danish biofuel startup Kvasir Technologies on Thursday (18 June) said it has raised EUR 10 million (USD 11.4 million) in a Series A investment round with participation from European Energy as a new investor, alongside existing investors EIFO, Maersk Growth and Footprint Fund. 

The Series A round provides capital to develop and design a new commercial production plant and scale climate-neutral drop-in fuel to be used in existing vessels.

At the same time, European Energy and Kvasir Technologies are entering into a strategic partnership by establishing the company KVEEN Biofuels, which is working towards the construction of a commercial-scale plant to produce biofuels using Kvasir Technologies’ patented technology.

“This investment round enables us to take the next crucial steps in developing and scaling our technology. At the same time, it underlines that there is still strong support for solutions that can deliver real climate impact in the maritime sector,” said Joachim Bachmann Nielsen, Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and CEO of Kvasir Technologies.

Kvasir Technologies, a spin-out from research at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), has developed a new technology to convert a wide range of non-edible lignin- based residues from agriculture and forestry into refined biofuels for shipping.

The climate-neutral biofuel can serve as an immediate replacement for fossil marine fuel without the need to modify ship engines or change existing infrastructure.

The new funding will be used, among other things, to scale the technology at Kvasir Technologies’ test facility in Fredericia, which can produce up to 2 metric tonnes (mt) of biofuel per day.

At the same time, development work will begin on the first commercial plant in the city of Aabenraa in the southern part of Jutland, which will demonstrate the technology on an industrial scale.

 

Photo credit: Kvasir Technologies
Published: 19 June, 2026

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Engine

BeHydro secures LR’s first class approval for 100% hydrogen marine engine

Engine has been developed and tested at ABC Engines’ facility in Ghent and is designed to operate entirely on hydrogen, without the need for pilot fuels.
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BeHydro secures LR’s first class approval for 100% hydrogen marine engine

Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) on Wednesday (17 June) said it has issued the first Type Approval Certificate for a 100% hydrogen-fuelled, spark-ignited marine engine.

The approval has been awarded to the hydrogen engine developed by BeHydro and confirms the design meets LR’s requirements for safety, performance and reliability in marine applications.

The engine has been developed and tested at ABC Engines’ facility in Ghent and is designed to operate entirely on hydrogen, without the need for pilot fuels. This simplifies system design and removes onboard carbon emissions at source, positioning the technology as a practical option for operators exploring zero-carbon propulsion.

Claudene Sharp-Patel, Global Technical Director, Lloyd’s Register, said: “The issue of this Type Approval Certificate demonstrates that hydrogen-fuelled internal combustion engine technology is continuing to mature as a viable option for maritime applications.

“For shipowners and operators, independent certification is essential in building confidence that emerging fuel technologies can meet the industry’s expectations for safety, reliability and operational performance.”

Tim Berckmoes, CEO at ABC Engines, said: “This LRS type approval of our BeHydro 100% hydrogen engines with zero emissions is a confirmation of the future proof technology that BeHydro can offer to innovative shipowners worldwide.

“The 100% hydrogen engine range is available from 900 kW till 2670 kW for different marine applications.”

LR previously awarded Type Approval to BeHydro for its hydrogen-powered dual-fuel engine in 2023, which was the first Type Approval for a dual-fuel hydrogen engine. 

 

Photo credit: Lloyd’s Register
Published: 19 June, 2026

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