Biofuel

SOHAR Port expands B20 bunker fuel usage to all its tugboats

After receiving its first delivery of biofuel, the bunkering with B20 bunker fuel which began as trial for Tug Sohar is now set to be extended to all tugboats at the port.

Published

7 months ago

June 5, 2024

Admin

SOHAR Port to use B20 bunker fuel on all its tug boats

SOHAR Port on Monday (3 June) announced that it has become one of the first ports in the Middle East ever to use biofuel bunkering in tugboat operations.

After receiving its first delivery of biofuel, the bunkering with B20 (a mixture of 80% diesel and 20% biofuel) which began as trial for Tug Sohar is now set to be extended to all tugboats at the port.

SOHAR Port also plans to expand the project to include locomotives by next month.

The port has also collaborated with tugboats operator Svitzer, biofuel supplier Wakud and bunker service provider Hormuz Marin.

Emile Hoogsteden, CEO of SOHAR Port, said: “Marine operation is the main contributor to our greenhouse gas emissions, which has increased relative to the port’s growth through the direct emissions of fuel consumptions in tugboat operations.”

“Implementing biofuel in our marine operation will significantly reduce SOHAR Port’s scope on emissions and keep us firmly on the path to support Oman`s wider environmental vision on the path to net zero.”

“With the help of our partners in this initiative, with whom we could not have achieved such a landmark moment, we have set new environmental standards for the region and beyond.”

Engineer Abdullah bin Ali Al Busaidi, an expert of the Zero Carbon Neutrality Team at the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology, highlighted that the Ministry is collaborating with the various government agencies on the 18 carbon laboratory initiatives.

“The Ministry has developed a clear and comprehensive roadmap for the development of green ports, including multiple projects to reduce emissions, transitioning equipment to operate on electrical energy and smart systems, connect ships to electrical power, and establish a regional center for supplying ships with clean fuel,” Al Busaidi said.

“We are working with the concerned entities including the Environment Agency, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Investment Promotion, the Ministry of Economy, and the private sector to address upcoming challenges such as pricing differences between biofuel and conventional fuel”.

Al Busaidi elaborated that the private sector has also identified key raw materials for the biofuel industry, focusing on waste cooking oils used in restaurants and shops. Additionally, Sultan Qaboos University in collaboration with the Petroleum Development Oman Company (PDO) have made great strides where they have operated a Mwasalat bus powered by date palm biodiesel.

Deniz Kirdar True, Managing Director Svitzer AMEA, said. “We are proud that Svitzer is collaborating with Sohar port on this important initiative. Svitzer has been providing safe and reliable marine services to customers in SOHAR Port for many years, and in SOHAR Port, we have found a partner who shares our ambitious decarbonisation goals and is willing to do things differently.”

“This innovative project is an excellent example of how we can use our experience and learnings from operations in other parts of the world to support customers and other stakeholders locally in their efforts to reduce environmental impact.”

Sulaiman Alhadhrami, CEO of Hormuz Marine, said: “Working with SOHAR Port for the first biofuel bunker supply in Oman is a significant move toward emissions reduction and sustainability in the maritime industry.”

“While marine gas oil remains necessary in the short term, gradually increasing biofuel usage will lead to substantial greenhouse gas emissions savings. This transition aligns with global efforts to combat climate change and demonstrates a commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable future in shipping.”

Photo credit: SOHAR Port
Published: 5 June 2024

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Bunker Fuel

China: Zhoushan Port achieves 7.26 million mt annual bunker volume for 2024

Zhoushan Hi-Tech Zone Administrative Committee highlighted the progress Zhoushan Port has made in the past year including actively planning to build an alternative fuel bunkering centre.

Published

1 day ago

January 14, 2025

Admin

China: Zhoushan Port achieves 7.26 million mt annual bunker volume for 2024

Zhoushan Hi-Tech Zone Administrative Committee on Friday (10 January) said Zhoushan, the fourth largest bunkering port of the world, delivered 7.26 million metric tonnes (mt) of marine fuel in 2024.

This marked about a 3% increase from 7.04 million mt in 2023.

The committee also highlighted the progress Zhoushan Port has made in the past year including actively planning to build an alternative fuel bunkering centre.

It has successfully obtained approval for the national biodiesel promotion and application pilot project. The construction of a project to produce an annual 1 million mt of marine biodiesel has begun.

The first methanol vehicle-to-ship pilot was carried out, and the first methanol bunkering barge in Zhoushan was officially built and is expected to be put into use by the end of 2025.

The port has also improved the fuel supply efficiency of various bunkering anchorages in Zhoushan including Tiaozhumen Anchorage adding three bunkering anchorages on top of the original five and has successfully carried out night bunkering operations.

Xiushandong and Mazhi anchorages have added a total of three new bonded bunkering anchorages, which can implement all-weather and fully automatic anchorage reservations, and provide advance reservations and priority refueling services for large ships and large orders.

The committee also highlighted Dong Fang Zhao Yang becoming the first domestic bunkering barge to obtain the mass flow meter system certification under the ISO22192:2021 standard. The barge conducted a successful pilot for the bunkering of bonded fuel oil using a mass flow meter at Xiushandong Anchorage on 9 December.

A spokesperson of the committee said Zhoushan will focus on promoting alternative bunker fuels such as biofuel and LNG and accelerating the completion of methanol refuelling safety assessments.

Photo credit: Zhoushan Hi-Tech Zone Administrative Committee
Published: 14 January, 2025

Biofuel

UECC wraps up first truck-to-ship bio-LNG bunkering operation in Spain

Liquefied biomethane supplied by green energy developer Naturgy was pumped directly from a tanker truck into the tanks of UECC’s multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid PCTC “Auto Advance”.

Published

1 day ago

January 14, 2025

Admin

UECC wraps up first truck-to-ship bio-LNG bunkering operation in Spain

United European Car Carriers (UECC) on Monday (13 January) said it has performed the first-ever ship bunkering operation in Spain with a truck-borne shipment of liquefied biomethane (LBM), also known as bio-LNG, to widen access to supplies of the sustainable fuel.

In the milestone event at the Port of Vigo, LBM supplied by green energy developer Naturgy from a biomethane production plant in the surrounding Galicia province was pumped directly from a tanker truck into the tanks of UECC’s multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid Pure Car and Truck Carrier, Auto Advance.

“This is an important step as it is the first time LBM has been delivered by truck to ship in the whole of Spain. We view Spain as a promising market for biomethane production and so it’s great to get this first delivery over the line,” said UECC’s Energy & Sustainability Manager Daniel Gent.

The delivery allows the leading sustainable carrier in the European shortsea RoRo trade to diversify its regional sources of supply for LBM beyond its main hub of Zeebrugge where it has a long-term supply agreement in place with Titan Clean Fuels.

“We are trying to promote the growth of the wider small-scale LBM supply network,” Gent explained.

Another aspect of this diversification is that it also represents the first physical molecule delivery of the fuel - instead of mass balanced - as UECC explores multiple alternative delivery pathways to broaden its LBM portfolio.

UECC is boosting uptake of the fuel in line with expansion of its Sail for Change sustainability initiative launched last summer in which LBM is being bunkered on the company’s five dual and multi-fuel LNG PCTCs for several major vehicle manufacturers to cut their Scope 3 emissions.

As well as contributing to its customers’ decarbonisation efforts, UECC is providing fuel demand to support renewable energy development by Naturgy, which is involved in numerous innovative projects to convert agricultural and livestock waste into biomethane, strengthening the regional circular economy.

Naturgy, in a joint venture with Reganosa and Repsol, is looking to produce 1 terawatt hours per year of biomethane from treatment of animal slurry and other waste sources, which would cover 7% of Galicia’s annual gas import requirements and result in a reduction of 500,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Gent added: “We hope the LBM truck delivery in Spain will be the first of many.”

Photo credit: United European Car Carriers
Published: 14 January, 2025

Bunker Fuel

Singapore: KPI OceanConnect, partners deliver first renewable diesel to cruise industry

Delivery of bunker fuel from Neste was made at Singapore Cruise Terminal, with the fuel sourced from Vopak Penjuru Terminal and transported to a cruise ship via barge “Maple”, operated by Global Energy.

Published

6 days ago

January 9, 2025

Admin

Singapore: KPI OceanConnect, partners deliver first renewable diesel to cruise industry

Global provider of marine energy solutions KPI OceanConnect on Wednesday (8 January) said it partnered with Neste and Global Energy on the first successful delivery of renewable diesel, also known as HVO100, for the cruise industry in Singapore.

The landmark delivery of Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ took place in November 2024 and marked a significant milestone for the Asia-Pacific marine sector.

Neste MY Renewable Diesel™ is made from 100% renewable raw materials and is a direct replacement for fossil diesel, helping the industry meet its sustainability goals.

The use of this renewable diesel can result in up to 90% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction over its lifecycle compared to fossil diesel.

The fuel is a drop-in solution and is suitable for all diesel-powered engines without the need for additional investment or modification to engines or fuel infrastructure.

The delivery of renewable diesel from Neste was made at the Singapore Cruise Terminal, with the fuel sourced from Vopak Penjuru Terminal and transported to the cruise ship via bunker barge Maple, operated by Global Energy.

KPI OceanConnect facilitated the successful delivery of the renewable diesel, working closely with the vessel's technical team to ensure engine compliance. KPI OceanConnect collaborated with Neste to source the fuel and with Global Energy for operational agreements in Singapore waters.

Ee Pin Lee, Head of Commercial APAC, Renewable Products at Neste, said: "This first supply of Neste MY Renewable Diesel to the marine sector in Asia-Pacific is a significant milestone and demonstrates the versatility of the product across a wide range of applications where it can replace fossil diesel. It is an effective solution for enabling the marine sector to be more sustainable."

Chow Munee, Group Business Manager, Global Energy, added: “Partnering with Neste and KPI OceanConnect to supply renewable diesel to the marine sector in Singapore is an important step in helping our clients reduce their environmental impact. By providing seamless and reliable delivery of HVO, we are supporting the industry’s transition without compromising operational efficiency. We’re proud to play a role in driving these crucial efforts within the maritime sector.”

Jesper Sørensen, Head of Alternative Fuels and Carbon Markets at KPI OceanConnect, said: “We are proud to be industry first movers in sourcing and delivering HVO for our clients, helping them reduce their carbon footprint and achieve their environmental goals. By working closely with Neste and Global Energy, we were able to offer high-quality biofuel to our client, laying the groundwork for further fuel uptake and decarbonisation progress. This successful delivery is a testament to how partnerships can help advance the industry’s green transition.”

Photo credit: KPI OceanConnect
Published: 9 January, 2025