Alternative Fuels

“K” Line to expand current Singapore-based LNG, ammonia bunkering projects to other parts of the world

Firm will accumulate experience and knowledge at its base in Singapore as preparation to create organisations in three bases, including Europe and the United States.

Published

2 years ago

December 6, 2022

Admin

Japanese transportation company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE) recently said it plans to launch individual projects in each country and region in which it operates around the world, similar to LNG bunkering vessel management and ammonia bunkering vessel projects in Singapore.

In a special feature in the firm’s 2022 report, Kiyotaka Aya, Senior Managing Executive Officer, Supervising Marine Sector, Chief Safety Officer (CSO), said this when highlighting the establishment of its ship management company in Singapore, K Marine Ship Management Pte. Ltd.

He said Singapore is the largest bunkering port in the world and is at the forefront of initiatives to promote the shift to alternative fuels for low-carbon and carbon-free marine transportation.

Some examples of this include a ship management project for ship-to-ship LNG bunkering vessels, which began in 2021, and an ammonia bunkering vessel project for ships, for which joint studies began in 2022 as a member of a consortium.

Going forward, he said, the company expects to launch individual projects in each country and region in which we operate around the world, similar to the LNG bunkering vessel and ammonia bunkering vessel projects in Singapore.

“Ship management companies are a contact point for such projects and play a role in accurately addressing customer needs for low-carbon and carbon-free marine transportation through a region-based customer support system. Accordingly, at our base in Singapore, we will accumulate experience and knowledge as preparation to create organisations in three bases, including Europe and the United States, as set out in the medium-term management plan,” he said in the report.

In the report, ‘K’ Line also mentioned approximately 40 LNG-fuelled vessels will be added to its fleet by 2030 under its low-carbon and carbon-free initiatives.

The company also said it expects ammonia to become a vital type of fuel in achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.

In another special feature in the report, Toyohisa Nakano, Executive Officer in charge of GHG Reduction Strategy, said under the medium-term management plan, which they announced in May 2022, the “K” LINE Group is currently accelerating the introduction of vessels fueled by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), with the aim of promoting the shift to a low-carbon and carbon-free footprint of the Company and society.

“However, LNG and LPG are also fossil fuels and emit CO2 emissions when consumed as fuel, although comparatively less than conventional heavy oil. Meanwhile, a significant feature of ammonia is that it does not emit CO2 emissions, even when burned,” he said.

He added the company is promoting numerous projects related to creating a supply chain for supplying ammonia as a fuel for vessels, in addition to the development of ammonia fuelled vessels.

As such, he said they are currently involved in the commercialisation of ammonia bunkering vessels in Singapore.

Photo credit: “K” LINE
Published: 6 December, 2022

Biofuel

Singapore: GCMD introduces new technique for FAME bio bunker fuel fingerprinting

Fingerprinting identifies feedstock origins of FAME-based biofuels used in shipping industry; can be used as a potential tool to detect fraud in marine fuel supply chains and ensure biofuel authenticity.

Published

8 hours ago

December 2, 2024

Admin

Singapore: GCMD introduces new technique for FAME bio bunker fuel fingerprinting

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) on Monday (2 December) released its latest report, presenting a new technique that creates a fingerprint for Fatty Acid Methyl Esters(FAME) bio bunker fuels.

This fingerprint identifies the feedstock origins of the FAME-based biofuels used in the shipping industry.

GCMD said FAME fingerprinting is needed as the shipping sector is increasingly using biofuels, such as FAME, to reduce its GHG emissions. With that, concerns have arisen regarding the legitimacy of biofuels and whether they are truly sustainable.

Industry bodies are seeing a rising number of cases mislabelling biofuels purported to be made from recycled oils and fats, while suspicions persist that they might be produced from cheaper and less sustainable virgin oils.

“To address these concerns, FAME fingerprinting can be used as a potential tool to detect fraud in marine fuel supply chains and ensure biofuel authenticity. By providing a physical validation method that complements existing certification schemes, FAME fingerprinting can help justify the green premium with genuine environmental benefits and safeguard the integrity of marine fuels supply chain,” GCMD said.

FAME fingerprinting is based on the principle that the fatty acid profile of FAME is unique to its feedstock and can be preserved during feedstock transesterification to produce FAME. The "fingerprint" can then be compared against a database of known fatty acid profiles to identify the feedstock origin.

GCMD worked with VPS who modified existing fuel testing methods to carry out sample analyses using a gas chromatograph with flame-ionisation detection, an instrument commonly found in fuel test laboratories.

The analysis takes about an hour, comparable to the turnaround time for current marine fuel quality testing in the supply chain.

“We have tested this method on a variety of FAME samples from different suppliers, including virgin oils, used cooking oils, palm oil mill effluent, beef tallow and food waste and were able to identify the feedstock origins for each sample,” GCMD added.

Manifold Times previously reported Captain Rahul Choudhuri, President, Strategic Partnerships at marine fuels testing company VPS, forecasting the use of finger printing technology today will likely establish a blueprint of how future alternative bunker fuels’ feedstocks are authenticated.

Captain Choudhuri said this when he gave an update of VPS’ biofuels finger printing trials with GCMD.

Note: The full report, titled ‘Rapid forensic analysis of FAME-based biofuels: Potential use of its fingerprint as a fraud detection tool’, can be downloaded here.

Photo credit: Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation
Published: 2 December, 2024

Methanol

PLAGEN to produce and supply green methanol bunker fuel with Latvia plant

Korean firm’s MoU with AE Risinājumi will see construction of Latvia’s first commercial-scale green methanol production plant, which will supply green methanol to ships in EU’s maritime fleet.

Published

8 hours ago

December 2, 2024

Admin

PLAGEN to produce and supply green methanol bunker fuel with Latvia plant

South Korean clean energy firm PLAGEN on Friday (29 November) signed an MOU with Latvian company, AE Risinājumi, for the production of green methanol in Latvia at the “2024 Latvia-Korea Business Forum” hosted by the President of Latvia.

The agreement will result in the construction of Latvia's first commercial-scale green methanol production plant, which will supply green methanol to ships in the EU's maritime fleet, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transportation.

PLAGEN's MoU aims to produce 20,000 metric tonnes (mt) of green methanol per year and will begin feasibility studies in the first half of 2025, and full-scale production will begin in 2028.

With 53% of Latvia's land area covered by forests, timber production and wood processing make a significant contribution to Latvia’s economic production, which generates a large amount of forest residues and wood wastes. In addition, Latvia also has an abundance and low price of renewable electricity from wind power.

Latvia is one of the most competitive countries in the European Union, as it can produce clean methanol at a competitive price by using abundant wood waste as a raw material and renewable electricity from cheap wind power.

The use of abundant forest residues and wood wastes as a feedstock and cheap renewable electricity from wind power makes it possible to produce green methanol with a competitive price, making Latvia is one of the most competitive countries in the EU.

In the European Union, the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) will come into effect in 2025, requiring shipping companies to purchase carbon credits for their greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, the EU is implementing FuelEU Maritime, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2% below the 2020 average by 2025 and 80% by 2050. This is expected to result in an energy transition to green methanol.

In July 2023, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted a revised strategy that calls for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships to net-zero by or around 2050, and plans to introduce full-scale regulations from 2027, and shipping companies have begun ordering methanol-powered ships fueled by green methanol, a carbon-neutral fuel.

“We expect to start producing green methanol in Latvia in 2028, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from EU maritime transport vessels and contribute significantly to the revitalization of the Latvian economy and national energy security,” said John Kyung, CEO of PLAGEN.

In November 2024, PLAGEN completed the purchase of an industrial complex and received a government permit for the construction of the country's first green methanol plant in Dongjeom Industrial Complex in Taebaek City, Gangwon-do.

The project, which will produce 10,000 mt per year, is scheduled to begin construction in the first half of 2025 and begin production in the second half of 2027.

Photo credit: PLAGEN
Published: 2 December, 2024

LNG Bunkering

Molgas commences LNG bunkering operations in United Kingdom

Firm successfully completed the first LNG bunkering of “MV Glen Sannox” since the ship was handed over to CalMac Ferries Limited last week.

Published

8 hours ago

December 2, 2024

Admin

Molgas commences LNG bunkering operations in United Kingdom

Molgas Group on Friday (29 November) said it successfully completed the first LNG bunkering of the MV Glen Sannox since the ship was handed over to CalMac Ferries Limited last week, marking its entry into the United Kingdom.

“We would like to thank CalMac Ferries Limited and Ferguson Marine (Port Glasgow) Limited for their trust and long-term collaboration,” the firm said in a social media post.

“This project not only represents a significant step forward in the adoption of cleaner fuels in the maritime industry of the United Kingdom but also for the expansion of our Pan-European Supply Network for the Marine Segment to receive (bio)LNG via various supply assets across multiple countries and ports.”

Photo credit: Molgas Group
Published: 2 December, 2024