ANL, a subsidiary of the shipping and logistics player CMA CGM Group, on Wednesday (13 April) announced the success of the first biofuel trial on a containerised shipping vessel within Oceania.

The trial, undertaken on ANL’s AAX1 service was a 42-day rotation, commencing in Brisbane, travelling via Southeast Asia and then onto key Australian ports. 

The trail voyage used a B20 biofuel bunker blend with feedstock supplied by Queensland-based EcoTech while BP Marine and Port of Brisbane played a pivotal role in supplying and bunkering the blended fuel. 

The international shipping service carries a vast array of consumer goods from cotton, meat, beverages and dairy to machinery, furniture, fashion textiles and ceramics.

Woolworths Group, a key partner on this biofuel trial, works with ANL through its supply chain business, Primary Connect, to bring quality household products to Australia and deliver Australian products like breakfast foods, cooking products and snacks to Asia under a range of Woolworths brands. 

The Queensland Government has also supported the trial through its Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan which is building on the state’s emerging strengths in biofutures and biofuels to secure local jobs, demonstrating Queensland is a leading destination for clean energy investment. 

The prospect of being able to transport these goods with lower emissions could positively impact tens of thousands of consumers from this one sailing.

With the success of the biofuel trial now under hand, ANL envisages this blend to be more broadly adopted in Oceania in line with the forthcoming International Maritime Organisation’s GHG Regulations set to launch in 2023. 

Bio-LNG, a new and immediately available solution on the path to Net Zero Carbon

Setting the goal of achieving Net Zero carbon by 2050, ANL as a part of the CMA CGM Group is heavily investing in energy transition using the best technical solutions available today while proactively preparing for the future. 

The CMA CGM Group already operates today 27 vessels “e-methane ready” and will have a total of 44 vessels by the end of 2024. Today, the CMA CGM Group is also using biofuel onboard container ships that serve Intra-Europe. Biofuel, together with alternative fuels such as LNG and biomethane among others, will make up 10% of the CMA CGM Group’s energy mix by 2023.

“This voyage is a crucial step in not only our journey to Net Zero carbon but also the industry and region’s evolution to a cleaner and more sustainable way of working. We’re very grateful to our longstanding client Woolworths Group, as our key partner on the trial. Collaboration for the UN Sustainable Development Goals is certainly key!”said ANL Managing Director Shane Walden. 

“We’ve already reduced our own emissions by 27% on the path to becoming net carbon positive by 2050, and we want to expand our efforts beyond our own business to make our supply chains greener too. Not only does ANL bring quality household products to Australia for our customers, it also helps us take great Australian Woolworths Group products to the world,” said Woolworths Group Director of Transport and Primary Connect, Chris Brooks

“This biofuel trial is a first of its kind for our business and we’re optimistic about how we can work with innovative partners like ANL to make each link in the supply chain more sustainable for a better tomorrow.”

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Steven Miles welcomed the ship to the Port of Brisbane.

“Queensland has the potential to become a leading biofuel refueling station in the western Pacific. The Queensland Government played a key role in partnering with ANL for the trial. Using locally produced biofuel, the project allows ships to make immediate and significant reductions to their emissions, helping to protect marine life, biodiversity and the planet.”

“This is an exciting glimpse into a cleaner future for the shipping industry,” Port of Brisbane CEO Neil Stephens said. 

“We’re pleased to have worked closely with ANL, EcoTech, and BP Marine to make it happen. Only by working together can we make a genuine difference in reducing emissions and delivering a more sustainable port for the future.”

Photo credit: ANL
Published: 18 April, 2022