Canada Clean Fuels to power eight CSL Group ships with B100 bio bunker fuel

The CSL Group on Friday (3 May) said its gearless bulk carrier CSL Welland will be running on B100 biodiesel again in another season, marking the return of its biofuel programme.

The firm teamed up with Canada Clean Fuels Inc to power eight of its ships with North American-sourced B100 biodiesel, derived from waste plant material. 

The ships are CSL Laurentien, Baie Comeau, Rt. Hon Paul J. Martin, Spruceglen, CSL St-Laurent, CSL Assiniboine, CSL Welland, and Whitefish Bay.

“Since 2019, we’ve proven the effectiveness of biofuel in decarbonizing marine transportation, with the potential to reduce over 80% less GHGs from well to wake,” CSL said in a social media post.

“Biofuel is a seamless drop-in fuel option for vessels, requiring no retrofitting or significant modifications to ships or infrastructure – and one way we can contribute to sustainable shipping and a greener future for all.”

In December 2023, CSL announced a significant milestone in its Great Lakes biofuel programme – one of the longest-running initiatives of its kind in the maritime industry.

With a cumulative 75,000 running hours on B100 biofuel over the past four years, CSL ships made significant strides in supporting decarbonization efforts by replacing 55,000 metric tonnes of fossil fuel with biodiesel and avoiding 156,000 metric tonnes of CO2.

In 2023, its biofuel fleet set a new record by using 16,400 metric tonnes of B100 biodiesel in a single season, marking its highest consumption to date.

CSL initiated its biofuel journey in 2019 with a B50 blend, gradually progressing to B80 and, in 2020, running two ships on B100 – pure biodiesel produced entirely from waste plant material unrelated to food production. Since 2021, eight CSL vessels have run continuously on B100 for five to eight months per year, proving the technical viability and practicality of biofuel in reducing well-to-wake GHG emissions and meeting regulatory limits for SOx and NOx emissions. 

In 2022, CSL completed the trial phase and transitioned to the next stage of implementation,establishing the CSL Biofuel Program. During 2022 and 2023, eight CSL Lakers operated on B100 biodiesel. The program continues in 2024 with the intention to broaden biodiesel usage to additional vessels in the fleet.

Related: CSL achieves milestone after clocking 75,000 running hours on B100 bio bunker fuel

Photo credit: CSL Group
Published: 8 May 2024