Biofuel
DNV: Maximizing the potential of bio bunker fuels in shipping
DNV summarizes its white paper examining the growing uptake of biofuels in shipping, bunkering trends and provides practical guidance around their use.
Classification society DNV recently published a Maritime Impact article to summarize its white paper examining the growing uptake of biofuels in shipping, bunkering trends and provides practical guidance around their use:
Biofuels are an increasingly attractive decarbonization option for shipowners. A new white paper from DNV analyses an evolving supply picture, while also providing technical guidance to shipowners planning to use it as a drop-in fuel.
Growing international pressure to decarbonize shipping has seen a significant increase in demand for biofuels in recent years. With several biofuels seen as “sustainable”, these can provide immediate decarbonization results for shipowners. However, as the new DNV white paper explains, supply is limited, and some technical and operational considerations should still be taken into account by shipowners before and during their use.
Biofuel as a decarbonization option
Although most biofuels contain carbon, which is released as CO2 during combustion, many can still lead to significant reductions in carbon emissions.
“This is because of the carbon cycle,” says Øyvind Sekkesæter, Consultant in Maritime Environmental Technology at DNV and lead author of DNV’s white paper. “When biomass grows, it absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere. This can, in theory, negate the release of CO2 when biofuel is burned.”
“However, in a life cycle perspective, there will still be emissions related to the harvesting of biomass, transportation and processing, meaning that 100% carbon neutrality is difficult to achieve in practice. This is particularly relevant now that shipping regulations, such as FuelEU Maritime, consider emissions on a ‘well-to-wake’ basis.”
Drop-in capability
Perhaps the most attractive aspect of biofuels is their ability to be used as a “drop-in” fuel on existing vessels. This means that biodiesels like FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) and HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) – the two most commonly used biofuels in shipping today – can be used to fuel vessels designed for operation on conventional fuel oils, while liquefied biogas, or bio-LNG, can be used directly on board LNG-capable vessels. They can be either stand-alone fuel products or blends with conventional fuels.
“This drop-in capability is very important, because it means that many biofuels can be applied directly to the existing fleet, where other decarbonization options might be difficult,” says Sekkesæter. “This is understandably an appealing choice for shipowners as it enables them to significantly reduce emissions without, for example, large-scale investment in engine retrofitting.”
Supply of biofuels
According to the white paper, the total global production of liquid biofuels (primarily ethanol, FAME and HVO) and biogases reached about 111 and 41 million tonnes of oil equivalent (Mtoe) respectively in 2023. The paper also estimates that about 15% of liquid and 65% of gaseous biofuels were based on advanced feedstocks as defined according to the EU Renewable Energy Directive.
Shipping’s share of global supply is extremely low. In 2023, this was around 0.7 Mtoe, accounting for about 0.6% of the global supply of liquid biofuels. This was similar to aviation, which accounted for around 0.5% of global supply in 2023. Road transport remains the prevalent user of biofuels, taking 98.9% of global liquid biofuel supply in 2023.
In 2023, biofuels accounted for just 0.3% of marine energy use.
Bunkering of biofuels mapped out
For biofuels to play a major role in maritime decarbonization, supply and availability in major bunkering hubs will need to increase. Through a systematic review of public information, the DNV white paper has identified more than 60 ports where biofuel bunkering has taken place since 2015. While bunkering availability is quite geographically diverse, it is mainly concentrated in Europe and East Asia. Availability in North America, South America and Africa is more limited in comparison.
“While our research shows us that the supply of biofuels is still relatively low, bunkering has taken place in quite a high number of ports,” says Sekkesæter. “Additionally, data from Singapore and Rotterdam – the two largest bunkering hubs – shows that biofuel consumption in shipping is growing quite quickly.”
Increasing biofuel sales in Singapore and Rotterdam
Total sales of bio-blended fuel in Singapore and Rotterdam increased from about 300,000 tonnes in 2021 to more than 1.6 million tonnes in 2024. The most common blend sold in Singapore has so far been B24 (meaning 24% biofuel by volume), while in Rotterdam it has been B30. In both cases, the biofuel blends primarily incorporate FAME and VLSFO (very low sulphur fuel oil).
Sales from these two ports were estimated to account for around half of all biofuel supply to shipping in 2023.
Demand for these blends is clearly on the rise, despite their additional cost to shipowners. “Both B24 and B30 have traded at a price premium of 30% to 60% relative to VLSFO since 2023,” says Sekkesæter.
Note: The full version of DNV’s Maritime Impact article on biofuels can be read here.
Photo credit: DNV
Published: 7 April, 2025
Business
Glencore backs FincoEnergies’ biofuel growth with majority stake acquisition
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Alternative Fuels
DNV: Alternative-fuelled vessel orders down 11.6% in H1 2026
In total, 137 alternative-fuelled vessels were ordered in the first half of 2026 compared to 155 in the same period in 2025.
Latest data from classification society DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform showed a total of 15 new orders for alternative-fuelled vessels were placed in June 2026.
This consisted of 10 orders for LNG-fuelled vessels, nine of which were car carriers and one a CO2 carrier. The remaining five orders were for LPG/ethane carriers.
Two LNG-bunker vessels were also ordered in June, bringing the total in this segment to seven so far in 2026.
In total, 137 alternative-fuelled vessels were ordered in the first half of 2026, down 11.6% from 155 in the same period in 2025.
Over half of these (73) were for LNG-fuelled vessels, with most coming from the container (42) and car carrier (21) segments. LPG/ethane carriers were also prominent, with 55 new orders, a significant uptick compared to the first half of 2025 (15). The remaining orders were for vessels fuelled by methanol (2), ethanol (2), ammonia (4), and hydrogen (1).
Deliveries in the first half of the year point to continued uptake of alternative-fuelled tonnage across several segments, with 61 LNG-fuelled vessels and 38 methanol-fuelled vessels delivered so far in 2026.
More recently, Exmar took delivery of what it described as the first oceangoing dual-fuel ammonia vessel, marking a step beyond earlier ammonia-fuelled deliveries, which have largely been associated with pilot or demonstration projects rather than commercial deployment.
Jason Stefanatos, Global Decarbonization Director at DNV Maritime, said: “What we can take away from the first half of 2026, in terms of the alternative-fuels orderbook, is that we have a market progressing at different speeds depending on segment economics, fuel availability, and the regulatory landscape. Shipowners and other stakeholders are pursuing different pathways based on their individual priorities and requirements.
“LNG remains the leading near-term fuel option, with order activity continuing to be led by containers and car carriers. LPG and ethane carriers have also accounted for a significant share of activity in the first half of the year, while developments in areas such as ammonia and ethanol show that multiple pathways continue to be explored.”
Photo credit: DNV
Published: 3 July, 2026
Biofuel
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Kvasir has developed a proprietary process that converts abundant, non-edible biomass into a high-quality bio-oil — a drop-in replacement for fossil HFO that works with existing ship engines.
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