Alternative Fuels

GCMD highlights bunker fuel pilots and trials in inaugural Impact Report

Report highlights its four initiatives to help decarbonise the maritime industry since its establishment in 2021 including studying ammonia as a marine fuel and trials on drop-in green fuels.

Published

2 years ago

October 20, 2023

Admin

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation on Wednesday (18 October) launched its inaugural Impact Report, highlighting its four initiatives to help decarbonise the maritime industry since its establishment in 2021.

The Impact Report shares progress of the initiative the centre is working on:

Ammonia as a marine fuel

GCMD has completed a safety study identifying the risks associated with ammonia transfer. The study shows that these risks (totalling more than 400) can and should be mitigated to as low as reasonably practicable levels.

Given the need to specify location and other details for hazard identification (HAZID) and coarse quantitative risk assessment (c-QRA), GCMD specified the port of Singapore for the safety study. With Singapore’s position as a major maritime hub with constrained operating areas, i.e. busy sea space, proximity to economic activities, sensitive receptors and stringent specifications in port limits, piloting ammonia bunkering in Singapore will make the guidelines extensible to ports elsewhere in the world.

Following the release of the study, the GCMD projects team, led by Lau Wei Jie, Director of Partnerships and technical lead on this ammonia initiative, is making preparations for piloting ship-to-ship (STS) cargo transfer, within the Port of Singapore, and also at ports elsewhere to ready stakeholders and the ecosystem for ammonia bunkering when ammonia-fuelled vessels become available.

This exercise will help build confidence by undertaking an established operation (i.e. STS transfer of cargo in open waters) within port limits where the risk profiles are substantially elevated to understand and help address regulatory and emergency response requirements. In parallel, conversations have commenced with overseas port authorities and port masters to understand local considerations, including limitations on existing berths for loading/discharging of ammonia, anchorage locations, proximity to sensitive receptors and safety requirements. These discussions help GCMD identify how we can support the building up of capabilities in multiple geographies to support ammonia bunkering.

GCMD is also working closely with Oil Spill Response Limited and their partner BlueTack to develop emergency response procedures.

GCMD has also initiated discussions with Singapore Maritime Academy to co-develop a competency framework to establish training curricula for manpower development in handling ammonia as a bunker fuel. This culminated in a training module on the handling of ammonia as a bunker fuel within SMA’s current course.

Assurance framework for drop-in green fuels

According to CEO Prof Lynn Loo, GCMD successfully completed the trialling of three independent supply chains employing physical tracers and bunkering biofuel blends on five vessels in two different ports. These learnings form the basis of an assurance framework that GCMD is currently drafting.

“Testing of crude algae oil as a marine fuel has begun and GCMD looks forward to supply chain trials in the near future,” she said.

With the data collected from the completed trials and additional data to be collected from the remaining two supply chains, GCMD is working with BCG, an Impact Partner, to develop a robust framework for GHG accounting and conduct green premium cost-benefit analysis of deploying biofuels.

The learnings from these trials and details of the framework will be shared broadly through a public report that will be published in early 2024.

Unlocking the carbon value chain

GCMD is working on the engineering design of a shipboard carbon capture system and collaborating with landside partners to understand the challenges and opportunities of offloading and offtaking captured CO2.

Energy efficiency technologies

GCMD is scoping several pilots to implement energy savings devices onboard vessels with the intention to help close the data-financing gaps for wider adoption.

In conclusion, GCMD said it believed the pilots are essential to accelerating the energy transition in the maritime industry and the recent Global Maritime Decarbonisation survey, conducted with Boston Consulting Group (BCG), reaffirmed this need.

Note: The full report of GCMD’s inaugural Impact Report can be viewed here.

Photo credit: Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation
Published: 20 October, 2023

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Biofuel

NYK to launch Japan’s first antioxidant for biodiesel bunker fuel in August

When added to biofuel, BioxiGuard slows progression of oxidative degradation and helps deter issues such as metal corrosion, strainer blockage, and cleaning-system fouling often triggered by oxidised fuel.

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Japan’s first antioxidant by NYK for biodiesel bunker fuel set to release in August

Nippon Yuka Kogyo (Nippon Yuka), an NYK Group company specialising in chemical R&D as well as the manufacture and sale of chemical products, on Wednesday (21 May) announced the upcoming release of BioxiGuard, the Japan’s first antioxidant specially developed for marine biodiesel, from 10 August.

NYK said compared with conventional petroleum-based fuels, biofuel contains a higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, making it more susceptible to oxidative degradation. Once oxidised, the biofuel can produce acidic substances and sludge, adversely affecting vessel fuel efficiency by reducing the fuel’s calorific value.

Developed by Nippon Yuka based on property analyses of the biofuel used in NYK-operated vessels, BioxiGuard is specifically formulated to enhance the oxidation stability of biodiesel. When added to biofuel, BioxiGuard slows the progression of oxidative degradation and helps deter issues such as metal corrosion, strainer blockage, and cleaning-system fouling often triggered by oxidised fuel.

According to laboratory tests conducted by Nippon Yuka researchers, the addition of BioxiGuard at a concentration of 1 part per 500 resulted in an approximate 50% reduction in the rate of biofuel degradation compared to untreated biofuel.

This significant improvement underscores the potential for vessel operators to not only extend the useful life of biofuel on board but also maintain more stable and cost-effective vessel operations.

Photo credit: NYK
Published: 22 May, 2025

Newbuilding

Höegh Autoliners latest LNG dual-fuel PCTC en route to Shanghai for bunkering

The 9,100 CEU “Höegh Sunrise”, currently sailing the seas, is on its way to Shanghai for bunkering before sailing to Japan and then towards Europe.

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Höegh Autoliners latest LNG dual-fuel PCTC en route to Shanghai for bunkering

Höegh Autoliners on Tuesday (20 May) said its latest liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel pure car and truck carrier has departed China Merchants Heavy Industry’s yard, ready to commence its commercial operations.

The 9,100 CEU Höegh Sunrise, currently sailing the seas, is on its way to Shanghai for bunkering before sailing to Japan and then towards Europe.

The PCTC is the fifth in a series of 12 Aurora Class vessels built by the shipyard in China. The first eight Auroras are or will be equipped with engines primed to run on LNG and low-sulphur oil.

These vessels can be converted to run on ammonia later. By 2027, Höegh Autoliners said the four last vessels of the series will be able to run net zero on ammonia directly from the yard when delivered.

Manifold Times previously reported the naming ceremony of Höegh Autoliner’s fourth Aurora Class newbuild, Höegh Sunlight, at Taicang Haitong Auto Terminal.

Photo credit: Höegh Autoliners
Published: 22 May, 2025

Alternative Fuels

UECC: Liquefied biomethane bunker fuel to enable compliance surplus under FuelEU

Company says bunkering liquefied biomethane will give it a significant compliance surplus under FuelEU that can be monetised through the regulation’s pooling mechanism.

Published

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UECC: Liquefied biomethane bunker fuel to enable compliance surplus under FuelEU

United European Car Carriers (UECC) on Monday (19 May) said bunkering liquefied biomethane (LBM), also known as bio-LNG, will give it a significant compliance surplus under FuelEU that can be monetised through the regulation’s pooling mechanism.

UECC’s Senior Manager of Business Planning & Sustainability, Masanori Nagashima, said bio-LNG is now seen by the company as the key fuel to achieve its target of a 45% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 versus a 2014 baseline and net zero by 2040 – ahead of the 2050 deadline set by both the IMO and EU.

The marine fuel is being bunkered on UECC’s dual and multi-fuel LNG PCTCs – three of which have battery hybrid capability – under Sail for Change that was launched by UECC last year and currently has participation by automotive giants including Toyota, Ford and JLR.

The company also has on order two multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid newbuild PCTCs due for delivery in 2028 that could be enlisted into the programme.

The overall carbon intensity of the UECC fleet, using the same gCO2e/MJ (grams of CO2 equivalent per megajoule) metric as FuelEU, is calculated at 68 gCO2e/MJ to achieve an interim target of a 25% carbon intensity reduction in 2025, though the company is expected to achieve 57 gCO2e/MJ this year based on its supply plan, according to Nagashima.

This is significantly below the current FuelEU threshold of 89.3 gCO2e/MJ – a 2% reduction from the baseline of 91.16 gCO2e/MJ – and still lower than the threshold of 77.9 gCO2e/MJ from 2035 that is a 14.5% reduction versus the baseline figure.

“The low carbon intensity of our fleet means all of our vessels are expected to gain a C rating or above with the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII)” Nagashima explained.

“It also gives us a significant compliance surplus under FuelEU that can be monetised through the regulation’s pooling mechanism, allowing a great commercial opportunity to offset regulatory costs for customers and eliminate FuelEU surcharges.”

“UECC will continue to accelerate its progress in improving decarbonisation of its fleet by further optimising our fuel mix strategy going forward to incorporate more high-impact fuels as these become viable.”

Photo credit: Titan Clean Fuels
Published: 22 May, 2025