Drop-in biofuels have the potential to immediately transform a vessel’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) rating regardless of fuel type, with diesel vessels seeing the most significant gains, according to Classification society ABS on Thursday (16 March).
That was a key message from Vassilios Kroustallis, ABS Senior Vice President, Global Business Development, to a meeting of marine industry leaders in Cyprus. In a wide-ranging presentation on ABS’ latest decarbonization thinking, he outlined new research showing how a blend of biofuels could improve a vessel’s CII performance regardless of whether it was diesel, methanol or LNG-fuelled.
A heavy fuel oil propelled vessel could see its rating improved from D to A in 2023 with the addition of a 30 percent blend of biodiesel. Bio-methanol added at 30 percent would move a C-rated methanol-fuelled vessel to an A rating today, and bio-methane at 30 percent would push an LNG-fuelled vessel from a B rating to an A rating.
“Drop-in biofuels are a powerful new tool for shipowners and operators to accelerate fleet decarbonisation and improve their CII trajectory today, ” said Kroustallis.
“ABS is involved in pilot projects on the application of biofuels that have shown us the huge potential of these fuels to contribute to reducing a vessel’s tank-to-wake carbon intensity and transform its rating. The cost of biofuels is confined to the fuel itself rather than in any associated technology or equipment and so biofuels represent a compelling option once supply and regulatory questions are addressed”
Note: More information on ABS’ research on biofuels is available in the ABS Sustainability Whitepaper: Biofuels as Marine Fuel, which is available for download here.
Photo credit: Venti Views on Unsplash
Published: 17 March, 2023
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17 Mar 2023
