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Nippon Biofuels supplies jatropha-based biofuel blend for RoRo trial in Japan

Trial involved the use of a biofuel blend comprising 10% Jatropha-derived SVO mixed with conventional heavy fuel oil on a RORO vessel operating on a domestic shipping route over a seven-day period.

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Nippon Biofuels supplies jatropha-based biofuel blend for RoRo trial in Japan

Japan’s Nippon Biofuels recently said it has supplied a jatropha-based biofuel blend, produced in Africa, to a Kuribayashi Steamship-operated RoRo vessel for a trial in Shinagawa Wharf, Tokyo in Japan. 

The fuel used in this test is jatropha oil produced at Nippon Biofuels’s own plantations in Africa with the company working to build supply chains there, from cultivation to fuel production.

The trial involved the use of a biofuel blend comprising approximately 10% Jatropha-derived straight vegetable oil (SVO) mixed with conventional heavy fuel oil on a RoRo vessel operating on a domestic shipping route over a seven-day period.

According to the Embassy of the Republic of Ghana in Tokyo, The demonstration was conducted under a feasibility study supported by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) as part of the Global South Future-Oriented Co-Creation Project. 

It assessed the use of jatropha-derived SVO as an alternative fuel for maritime transport, in line with global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the shipping sector.

“Preliminary findings indicate that the fuel can be utilised with minimal modification to existing vessel systems, offering a cost-effective and scalable alternative to more processed biofuels,” it said in a social media post.

“The initiative contributes to global decarbonisation efforts and supports compliance with emissions targets set by the International Maritime Organization.”

For Ghana, the project presents opportunities to position itself as a supplier of sustainable biofuel feedstock and to participate in emerging green energy value chains. It also has potential benefits for rural development through Jatropha cultivation.

During discussions, Nippon Biofuel Co., Ltd. indicated plans to expand jatropha cultivation in Ghana, particularly in the Bono Region, and to explore the establishment of a biodiesel processing facility to support local value addition.

 

Photo credit: Nippon Biofuels
Published: 23 March, 2026

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Alternative Fuels

MOL inks bio-LNG bunker fuel supply deals with Titan and Axpo for car carriers in Europe

Titan, part of Amsterdam-based Molgas, will continue to supply bio-LNG fuel in Northwest Europe, while Axpo will take charge of supply in the Mediterranean region.

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MOL inks bio-LNG bunker fuel supply deals with Titan and Axpo for car carriers in Europe

Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL) on Thursday (18 July) said it has signed new supply agreements in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean region to expand the use of bio-LNG marine fuel on MOL-operated LNG-fuelled car carriers.

Titan, part of Amsterdam-based Molgas, will continue to supply bio-LNG fuel in Northwest Europe, while Axpo will take charge of supply in the Mediterranean region.

MOL said the agreement makes it possible for its company to supply bio-LNG fuel for automobile carriers in the Mediterranean region, specifically Port of Malaga and Barcelona in Spain, following the bio-LNG fuel supply agreement in Western Europe, which commenced in March last year.

The bio-LNG fuel to be supplied in this initiative has a lifecycle carbon intensity (carbon dioxide emissions per unit of energy consumption) of -15 g-CO2/MJ or less, from production through consumption. Furthermore, this bio-LNG fuel has obtained International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC-EU). 

“Through this supply agreement, MOL has established a framework that ensures a continuous and stable supply of bio-LNG fuel not only in Northern Europe but also in the Mediterranean,” the company said.

As part of the group’s efforts to adopt alternative fuels and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, it is utilising LNG-fuelled vessels as a bridge solution to facilitate the transition to carbon-neutral fuels such as bio-LNG and synthetic LNG (e-methane).

In 2025, MOL signed a bio LNG fuel supply agreement in Northwest Europe with Titan, part of the Molgas, and MOL has continued this bio LNG fuel supply agreement with the same company in 2026 as well.

 

Photo credit: Mitsui OSK Lines
Published: 19 June, 2026

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Biofuel

Kvasir Technologies lands EUR 10 million to scale bio bunker fuel production

The Danish biofuel startup raised the fund in a Series A investment round, which will provide capital to develop and design a new commercial production plant and scale climate-neutral drop-in marine fuel.

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Kvasir Technologies lands EUR 10 million to scale bio bunker fuel production

Danish biofuel startup Kvasir Technologies on Thursday (18 June) said it has raised EUR 10 million (USD 11.4 million) in a Series A investment round with participation from European Energy as a new investor, alongside existing investors EIFO, Maersk Growth and Footprint Fund. 

The Series A round provides capital to develop and design a new commercial production plant and scale climate-neutral drop-in fuel to be used in existing vessels.

At the same time, European Energy and Kvasir Technologies are entering into a strategic partnership by establishing the company KVEEN Biofuels, which is working towards the construction of a commercial-scale plant to produce biofuels using Kvasir Technologies’ patented technology.

“This investment round enables us to take the next crucial steps in developing and scaling our technology. At the same time, it underlines that there is still strong support for solutions that can deliver real climate impact in the maritime sector,” said Joachim Bachmann Nielsen, Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and CEO of Kvasir Technologies.

Kvasir Technologies, a spin-out from research at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), has developed a new technology to convert a wide range of non-edible lignin- based residues from agriculture and forestry into refined biofuels for shipping.

The climate-neutral biofuel can serve as an immediate replacement for fossil marine fuel without the need to modify ship engines or change existing infrastructure.

The new funding will be used, among other things, to scale the technology at Kvasir Technologies’ test facility in Fredericia, which can produce up to 2 metric tonnes (mt) of biofuel per day.

At the same time, development work will begin on the first commercial plant in the city of Aabenraa in the southern part of Jutland, which will demonstrate the technology on an industrial scale.

 

Photo credit: Kvasir Technologies
Published: 19 June, 2026

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Biofuel

STR plans 100,000 m³ biofuels storage project in Rotterdam

Service Terminal Rotterdam is Rotterdam’s bunker facility, which is currently focused on the storage of fuels, mostly for the marine market.

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STR plans 100,000 m³ biofuels storage project in Rotterdam

Service Terminal Rotterdam (STR) on Wednesday (17 June) said it is launching project GreenSTR focused on biofuels storage in Rotterdam.

STR is Rotterdam’s bunker facility which is currently focused on the storage of fuels, mostly for the marine market. 

The company said the terminal lies in the heart of the Port of Rotterdam, and is well connected through its jetties suitable for a range of vessel sizes as well as barges. 

“STR’s core capabilities lie in its flexibility to handle various grades of fuel oil, as well as bioblending,” the company said. 

“Project GreenSTR fills the gap of needed infrastructure tailored at the storage and blending of marine fuels.”

The project will build approximately 100,000 cubic metre (m3) of storage tanks on a vacant plot of land adjacent to the current terminal and able to store a range of products including biodiesel, ethanol and methanol.

 

Photo credit: Service Terminal Rotterdam
Published: 18 June, 2026

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