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Clean tech makes every drop of fuel count, says Simon Potter of Houlder

Clean technologies will complement low and zero carbon fuels and such techs are needed to create zero-carbon ship of the future and to reduce costs in the short term and long term.
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The following is an article written by Simon Potter, Director of Sustainability Advisory to marine engineering consultancy Houlder elaborating the importance of the shipping industry to focus on both clean technologies and future fuels to meet CII, impact the existing fleet now, and ensure less energy-dense future fuels get a helping hand. The article was shared with Singapore-based bunkering publication Manifold Times:

Carbon Intensity Indicator

The shipping industry is witnessing a period of deeply impacting regulation that will require major investment and technological innovation. For example, the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) regulations coming into effect in January 2023, will have a significant impact on owners, operators and maritime operations more broadly. 

There is a real and present risk of unintended consequences emerging from the implementation of CII. The new regulations may encourage the majority of the industry to do little but slow steam and wait for alternative fuels to emerge at scale, rather than invest in the plethora of innovative, commercially ready clean technologies.

While slow steaming to reduce fuel use is better than not acting at all, it is a pessimistic approach. Strategies such as slowing steaming reduce the capacity of the existing fleet, making the challenge of vessel replacement even bigger as worldwide cargo demand continues to grow. Perversely these strategies themselves make the need for energy efficiency and renewable and sustainable propulsion (clean) technology even more important; if the global fleet needs to grow, so too will greenhouse gas emissions. 

It is important that owners and operators do not continue to overlook the ‘quick wins’ – especially to the current fleet – that clean technology represents. The existing global fleet is worth over $1 trillion and therefore must not be ignored. A big chunk of that cost sits on bank balance sheets, which constitutes significant risk if these assets are not managed properly through the industry’s decarbonisation. 

Shipowners need to integrate available clean technologies into their roadmap to immediately drop emissions and fuel consumption while alternative fuels continue to scale up. This also offers the current fleet an opportunity to keep pace with the rapidly accelerating environmental objectives coming from regulators, the market and the end consumer.

A package of solutions

When looking at clean technology and new fuels, It’s not a question of choosing one over the other. Clean technologies will complement low and zero carbon fuels, and we need them to create the zero-carbon ship of the future and to reduce costs in the short term and long term. 

We already have a huge range of options that complement future fuels and reduce carbon emissions. These include wind propulsion, air lubrication, battery energy storage, hull coating technology, hydrodynamic energy saving devices, and voyage optimisation software, to name a few.

At Houlder, we believe there is no single best energy efficiency solution for CII compliance or for shipowners looking to proactively control their own decarbonisation agenda. There are a multitude of clean technologies that can be deployed today, but it is critically important to determine how they can be packaged together for the greatest effect and to achieve the best return on investment.

It is important to research your options in detail. For example, North Star Shipping (NSS) commissioned a comprehensive study to help develop of a greenhouse gas reduction strategy across its fleet of over 40 vessels. An expert team first established the greenhouse gas emissions and carbon intensity of the current fleet and its operations before identifying the most suitable technologies and operational measures to reduce carbon emissions. This includes defining the cost, benefits and timeline for implementation of these technologies.

Every drop counts

It becomes increasingly clear that all low and zero-carbon alternative fuels will be more expensive and less energy-dense than current oil-based fuels – meaning the unequivocal rationale for investment in clean technologies only strengthens further. Any technology that can improve fuel efficiency and can make less potent fuels go further is a valuable asset. 

Regulation may be setting milestones in the shipping industry’s decarbonisation journey, but the damage done by our carbon emissions is cumulative and won’t be reversed by future fuels. The reality is that most new fuels will not be residual, commoditised products for decades – especially for smaller ship owners and operators – and waiting is not an option. Every drop of fuel saved right now matters, and all measures taken now to reduce emissions through clean technologies provide owners with a more optimised path forward towards full decarbonisation in the future. 

Effective decarbonisation strategies must encompass widespread considerations from regulatory requirements and environmental and social governance to green financing, naval architecture and engineering. What’s clear is that adopting the right clean technology today – in combination with an alternative fuels strategy – makes commercial and environmental sense.

 

Photo credit: Houlder
Published: 30 September, 2022

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Biofuel

BHP and GCMD trial multi-feedstock B100 bio bunker fuel on bulk carrier

Bio-blend in the BHP and GCMD pilot is being used on a BHP-chartered bulk carrier “Berge Lyngor”, which was bunkered in Singapore in early May.

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BHP and GCMD trial multi-feedstock B100 bio bunker fuel on bulk carrier

BHP and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) on Wednesday (3 June) said they have blended biofuels from two distinct feedstocks—used cooking oil and waste animal fats —and introduced the lower-emissions marine fuel into a BHP-chartered bulk carrier as part of a pilot project.

The bio-blend in the BHP and GCMD pilot is being used on a BHP-chartered bulk carrier Berge Lyngor, owned and operated by Berge Bulk, transporting BHP iron ore from Western Australia to China. When run on bio-blend, the vessel has the potential to reduce well-to-wake greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 79 per cent per voyage compared to sailing on very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO).

The vessel bunkered in Singapore in early May with a B100 bio-blend comprising 50 percent tallow-derived biodiesel, sourced and supplied by HAMR Energy, and 50 per cent used cooking oil (UCOME) supplied by Mitsui & Co Energy Trading Singapore (METS).

Mitsui also blended the fuel and Dan-Bunkering coordinated and executed the bunkering operation, which was performed by Global Energy’s barge MT Maple.

The BHP and GCMD pilot will assess how biofuels from multiple feedstocks can be blended, handled, and introduced under real-world operating conditions using existing used cooking oil bunkering infrastructure.

At the same time, insights from this pilot will help identify solutions to challenges related to fuel quality, handling, traceability, and onboard vessel performance.

Biofuels for global shipping today rely heavily on used cooking oil – a feedstock whose availability is approaching its projected limits. Biofuel from waste animal fats presents a promising option to expand the supply of lower-emissions marine fuels.

The outcomes of the pilot are expected to shed light on the practical steps to integrate biofuel blends from different feedstocks into existing supply chains. The diversity of biofuels will provide shipowners and operators with greater flexibility to optimise fuel procurement based on cost, availability, and lifecycle emissions performance.

Biofuels derived from different feedstocks can exhibit varying properties that may impact operations, including potential corrosion from oxidation, fuel system clogging caused by wax formation, which this pilot aims to assess.

The pilot will trace and verify the biofuel blend’s integrity aimed at bolstering confidence in emissions reductions reporting. The pilot will also provide insights into how robust tracing can support future marine fuel supply chains where biofuels from multiple feedstocks with varying lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions footprints are blended together.

This project is co-funded by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore under the Maritime Innovation and Technology Fund (MINT).

 

Photo credit: Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation
Published: 3 June, 2026

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Biofuel

NYK starts one-year B100 bio bunker fuel trial on car carrier

In this trial, NYK will operate a car carrier continuously on B100 for one year to evaluate the impact on engines, fuel supply systems, and operational practices.
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June 3, 2026

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NYK starts one-year B100 bio bunker fuel trial on car carrier

Japanese shipping firm NYK on Tuesday (2 June) said it has commenced a one-year long-term trial involving the continuous use of 100% biofuel (B100) on an NYK-operated car carrier. 

In this trial, NYK will operate a car carrier continuously on B100 for one year to evaluate the impact on engines, fuel supply systems, and operational practices. High-purity biofuels such as B100 are known to be susceptible to degradation from oxygen, light, and heat, raising concerns about the stability of such fuels during long-term use.

In this trial, the biofuel primarily comprises FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Ester) derived from used cooking oil and similar feedstocks.

The initiative is designed to evaluate the fuel’s effects on the vessel’s equipment and verify operational safety under real-world conditions. 

Through this effort, NYK seeks to accumulate technical expertise that will support the broader use of high-purity biofuels and further accelerate efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

NYK has been advancing the use of biofuels through various initiatives. In 2024, the company conducted a trial using biofuel blend B24 and subsequently expanded practical usage to B30. However, the company said there remains limited global experience with the long-term continuous use of B100.

“By collecting long-term operational data through this trial, NYK aims to accumulate valuable technical insights to support both the safe operation of vessels and the wider adoption of high-purity biofuels,” it said. 

 

Photo credit: NYK
Published: 3 June, 2026

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Ammonia

AM Green plans to build green ammonia plant at Indian port

Initiative also includes development of green ammonia handling, storage and bunkering infrastructure, pilot bunkering operations, safety procedures and training programmes, says VOC Port Authority.

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June 3, 2026

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VO Chidambaranar (VOC) Port Authority on Friday (29 May) said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with India’s ammonia producer AM Green Ammonia to collaborate in the development of a green ammonia production plant.

The plant will have a capacity of one million tonnes per annum (MTPA) at Tuticorin.

The initiative also includes development of green ammonia handling, storage and bunkering infrastructure, pilot bunkering operations, safety procedures and training programmes. 

The project is expected to support the development of green fuel corridors connecting VOC Port with major ports in Europe and Asia, thereby strengthening India’s position in the global green fuels value chain.

VOC Port also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bureau Veritas (India) Pvt. Ltd., to collaborate on Green Port certification, emissions accounting, ESG reporting, safety validation, development of green bunkering practices, and establishment of a Centre of Excellence for green fuels and sustainability.

The port also plans for an upcoming 750 m³ green methanol bunkering facility.

 

Photo credit: Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash
Published: 3 June, 2026

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