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Pilbara Clean Fuels receives preliminary results of studies on eLNG plant project in Port Hedland

Project is in response to anticipated demand of LNG bunker fuel supply at Port Hedland, thereby enabling large ore carrier to complete round-trip voyages to North Asia and back on a single bunker.

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Pilbara Clean Fuels Pty Ltd (PCF) on Friday (3 February) said it is pursuing development of an electrified liquefied natural gas (eLNG) plant in Port Hedland, Western Australia, principally for the production of marine bunker fuel.

The firm said it has received preliminary results from the pre-feasibility studies being conducted by Technip Energies and other contractors, and is currently targeting the end of March 2023 for completion of the first stage study phase.

Large Ore Carrier (LOC) vessels transport dry bulk product from Port Hedland mainly to China, South Korea and Japan. With the drive for international shipping to switch to lower emissions fuel alternatives, the use of LNG as a bunker fuel is increasing rapidly. However, LNG bunker fuel supply availability is a key element. The Project is in response to anticipated demand at Port Hedland, thereby enabling LOC’s to complete round-trip voyages to North Asia and back on a single bunker.

On 5 January 2023, PCF announced it had signed an exclusive MoU partnering with Oceania Marine Energy (OME), a firm developing a marine bunkering service capability based on the charter and operation of purpose-designed LNG bunker vessels. OME’s re-fuelling concept is ship-to-ship bunkering of LOC’s while at anchor off Port Hedland. 

By adopting an electrified plant concept and outsourcing its power supply from predominantly renewable sources, the design aims to minimise Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions. Another key feature is a ‘toll-processing’ business model. The Project proposes to convert third-party owned Western Australia sourced natural gas into marine fuel LNG under long term tolling contract arrangements.

The worldwide iron ore, steel-making and associated supply chain is under increasing pressure to reduce its overall lifecycle GHG emissions. The Project provides an attractive new Western Australia based capability to respond to one of the ‘hard to abate’ parts of the supply chain.

The Project can be seen as implementation of the Western Australian Government’s stated desire for LNG bunkering. A legitimate new use for relatively low-cost natural gas to add value to the State’s mineral resource exports as a result of substantial lowering of overall lifecycle GHG emissions compared to other minerals exporting locations.

PCF expects to be able to announce commercial progress of the Project once the result of the initial pre-feasibility work is finalized, leading to further engagement with State Government, Pilbara Ports Authority, international shipping industry representatives, investors and other stakeholders.

PCF Managing Director, Robert Malabar, said: “We are pleased to be able to report encouraging progress of the pre-feasibility study work, along with favourable interest in the project shown by the International Shipping Industry community. The project follows the industry precedent, already set, for the novel commercial model where a minerals exporter has arranged LNG bunkering for its chartered shipping, initially in an ‘off-route’ third country. The project provides the opportunity for similar but enhanced value as a result of a new ‘en-route’ LNG bunkering capability.”

Related: Oceania Marine Energy and Pilbara Clean Fuels sign MoU for LNG marine fuel bunkering
Related: Australia: McGowan Government advancing to establish LNG bunkering hub in Pilbara

 

Photo credit: Technip Energies
Published: 7 February, 2023

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Biofuel

NYK conducts first Japan bio bunker fuel trial on coal carrier for domestic power utility firm

Firm said it has started a biofuel test run on Noshiro Maru, operated by Tohoku Electric Power, marking the first time in Japan that a coal carrier has been used to test biofuel for a domestic power utility firm.

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NYK conducts first Japan bio bunker fuel trial on coal carrier for domestic power utility firm

Japanese shipping firm NYK on Monday (10 February) said it has started a biofuel test run on its coal carrier Noshiro Maru, which is operated by Tohoku Electric Power on 9 February.

This is the first time in Japan that a coal carrier has been used to test biofuel for a domestic power utility company. Mitsubishi Corporation Energy in the Keihin area facilitated the supply of biofuel for the vessel.

Biofuels are made from organic resources (biomass) of biological origin, such as agricultural residues and waste cooking oil, and are considered to produce virtually zero carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions when combusted.

“Since they can be used in heavy-oil-powered ship engines, which are common on large merchant ships, biofuels are considered a key means of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transition period from heavy oil to zero-emission fuels,” NYK said. 

“Using biofuel to reduce GHG emissions during sea navigation also contributes to reducing Scope 3 GHG emissions generated by transporting customers’ cargo.”

NYK added it will continue to focus on introducing biofuels and other next-generation fuels, and will contribute to reducing GHG emissions in our customers' supply chains while promoting decarbonisation in marine transport.

 

Photo credit: NYK
Published: 11 February, 2025

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Biofuel

IBIA welcomes IMO move to draft guidance change on carriage of bio bunker fuels

IBIA welcomed agreement by IMO’s Sub Committee on PPR 12 to draft Interim Guidance on the carriage of blends of biofuels and MARPOL Annex I cargoes by conventional bunker ships.

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The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) on Monday (10 February) said it submitted a document to IMO on the carriage of biofuels for supply to a ship for use as fuel oil on board that ship in November 2023.

This highlighted that as conventional bunker vessels were limited in carrying fuel oil of no more than 25% biofuel it presented a potential impediment to the global adoption of biofuels as fuel oil for ships and so to the ambition for the decarbonization of international shipping in the short term, as set out in the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy.

“IBIA therefore welcomes the agreement by IMO’s Sub Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 12) to draft Interim Guidance on the carriage of blends of biofuels and MARPOL Annex I cargoes by conventional bunker ships,” it said on its website. 

The guidance allows conventional bunker ships certified for carriage of oil fuels under MARPOL Annex I to transport blends of not more than 30% by volume of biofuel, as long as all residues or tank washings are discharged ashore, unless the oil discharge monitoring equipment (ODME) is approved for the biofuel blend(s) being shipped. 

“The Interim Guidance is expected to be approved by IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83) in April,” IBIA added. 

“IBIA’s membership represents stakeholders from across the global marine fuel value chain, and being able to draw on this technically strong and credible resource will, in its role of having consultative status to the IMO, mean that IBIA will continue to bring important matters to the attention of the wider IMO membership for due consideration.”

 

Photo credit: International Bunker Industry Association
Published: 11 February, 2025

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Alternative Fuels

Ammonia, methanol bunkering infrastructures among 39 projects to receive EU funding

Both projects aim to deploy a ship-to-ship bunkering system at the ports of Huelva and Algeciras respectively and include a 7500 m3 bunkering vessel each.

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Guillaume Périgois on Unsplash

Editor's Note [12 February 2025] : Article updated on CEPSA 

Two projects involving ammonia and methanol bunkering infrastructures in the ports of Huelva and Algeciras in Spain were among 39 projects to receive funding under the first cut-off deadline of 2024-2025 Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), according to the European Commission recently. 

The first ammonia bunkering infrastructure will be in Algecirasa as part of the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley. The project aims to deploy a ship-to-ship ammonia bunkering system in the port of Algeciras. 

It includes a 7500 m3 ammonia bunkering vessel, an on-shore ship loading system and the piping infrastructure for the transport of ammonia from the production site to the loading dock.  

Meanwhile, the first methanol bunkering infrastructure will be in Huelva, also as part of the Andalusian Green Hydrogen Valley. The project aims to deploy a ship-to-ship methanol bunkering system in the port of Algeciras. 

It includes a 7500 m3 methanol bunkering vessel, an on shore ship loading system and the piping infrastructure for the transport of methanol from the production site to the loading dock.

The coordinator for both bunkering projects is Spanish bunker fuel supplier CEPSA, which has been renamed to Moeve in October last year. 

The European Commission said the EU is allocating nearly EUR 422 million to the 39 projects that will deploy alternative fuels supply infrastructure along the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), contributing to decarbonisation. 

With this selection, the AFIF will support other projects including approximately 2,500 electric recharging points for light-duty vehicles and 2,400 for heavy-duty vehicles along the European TEN-T road network, 35 hydrogen refuelling stations for cars, trucks and buses, the electrification of ground handling services in eight airports and the greening of nine ports.

Following EU Member States’ approval of the selected projects on 4 February, the European Commission will adopt the award decision in the coming months, after which the results will become definitive. 

The European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) has started the preparation of the grant agreements with the beneficiaries of successful projects.

Note: The full list of successful projects can be viewed here.

 

Photo credit: Guillaume Périgois on Unsplash
Published: 11 February, 2025

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