Biofuel

VPS observes increase in demand for bio bunker fuel based on samples received in labs

Biofuel samples received by VPS between 2021 to 2023 increased from 70,000mt to 558,000 mt delivered while biofuel samples received in 2024 will surpass 700,000 mt of biofuels delivered.

Published

1 week ago

January 6, 2025

Admin

Steve Bee, Commercial Director of marine fuels testing company VPS, in December 2024 elaborated on the increase in demand in biofuels based on the number of samples VPS laboratories are receiving and its biofuel testing innovations:

Introduction

It's very apparent, global shipping’s drive to decarbonise is well underway. The ship-building profile is changing dramatically, highlighted by the 2023 order book showing 539 new builds capable of running on low-to-zero carbon fuels, being ordered. Looking at Jan-Sept 2024, 49% of the gross tonnage on order were for vessels configured to be alternative fuels ready, with this specific order book growing by 24% year on year. It's obvious that shipping is keeping its options very much open and looking for as much flexibility as possible, when it comes to the fuel choices for its ships.

The industry currently bunkers 230 Million mt of fuel per year. Burning this fuel equates to emissions of 716M mt of CO2-equivalent, as the majority of the fuel burnt continues to be traditional fossil fuels. This is supported by studying VPS fuel sample receipt for 2023 which was, 54% VLSFO, 30% HSFO, 14% MGO and 1% each for ULSFO and Biofuels.

However, the list of environmental legislation and directives to reduce emissions from shipping is ever-increasing in order to reduce SOx, NOx, Particulate Matter, CO2, Methane and other Green House Gases. It is this regulatory demand which is driving the developments of numerous alternative low-to-zero carbon fuels for marine use.

But it is biofuels, which currently offer an attractive and immediate path to CO2 reduction. As a “drop-in” fuel option, using existing delivery, storage, fuel-transfer and engine operation processes, biofuels provide a decarbonisation solution, with minimal change.

VPS has been and continues to be, at the forefront of fuels research & development and continuing our innovative development of test methods for such fuels. We are working on numerous biofuels projects with the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD), sea trials with ship owners and operators, plus working with both fuel suppliers and additive manufacturers to assist in their product developments.

Biofuels

So what’s the biofuels story today? We are seeing an exponential increase in demand based upon the number of biofuel samples we are receiving in our laboratories, linked to the actual metric tonnes of biofuel being delivered per stem. Between 2021 to 2023 biofuels samples received by VPS increased from 70,000mt to 558,000 mt delivered. This year biofuel samples received by VPS will surpass 700,000 mt of biofuels delivered.

Singapore exceeded 2023’s delivered quantity at the half-year point of 2024 and Asia Pacific more than trebled biofuel bunkerings vs last year, as we go into the final quarter of 2024.

Europe is on track to do 40% more than last year if delivery rates continue as they have been.

2024 has seen lower percentage bio-components, ie B10-B30 increase in demand, whilst a significant reduction in higher bio blends, ie B100.

This is likely to be price-driven, as the amount bio content of the fuel is at its premium versus traditional fuels. B20s running around 17% more and B30s running at 23% more than conventional fuels.

For FAME-based biofuels, there are six key quality considerations to take into account.

Firstly, Oxidation Stability, as FAME can oxidise and destabilise very quickly. As FAME destabilises, it becomes considerably darker in appearance, more viscous and much more acidic. VPS utilise three tests to establish a fuel’s level of stability: The Rancimat test, which is a deliberate aging test, where we look to implement a “traffic-light” assessment of Green for a > 8 hours result, Amber for a 5-8 hour result and Red for a<5 hour result. We can then use the Iodine Value test to measure the degree of unsaturation and potential reactivity of the biofuel and thirdly, the Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid content determination via GC, to measure Linoleic Acid and Linolenic Acid levels.

FAME has poor cold-flow properties and so we use the traditional tests of cloud point, cold-filter plugging point and pour point to determine these. Except when the blend is with a dark fuel, then we use the proprietary VPS Wax Appearance Temperature Test.

FAME can be very corrosive, so we test for Total Acid Number, but also undertake Copper and Steel corrosion testing as FAME can be corrosive towards certain surfaces.

As FAME loves water, this can create a breeding environment for bugs and so Bacteria/Yeast/Fungi testing is a key test to monitor the level of microbial activity.

Knowing the calorific value is essential and with fossil fuels this can be determined by a calculation within ISO8217. However, due to the higher oxygen content of FAME, this calculation is inaccurate for biofuels where the FAME content is greater than 10%. and therefore, the laboratory test ASTM D240 must be used to determine the energy content.

Many test to determine the renewable content of biofuel have poor repeatability and reproducibility. To overcome this, VPS have modified EN14078 to produce a much more accurate determination of renewable content, which is and will be, so key in ensuring correct levels of carbon taxation is paid by vessels.

Note: The full article by VPS can be viewed here.

Photo credit: VPS
Published: 6 January, 2025

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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