Asia/Pacific News
GCMD-Led Consortium Completes Biofuel Bunker Trials
A consortium led by the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) has completed a four-month trial of biofuel bunker blends in Singapore.
The trials took place from October 31 to February 15 and involved about 4,700 mt of biofuel blends used in five vessels, the GCMD said in an emailed statement on Tuesday.
Two different types of B24 blends were used: one using UCOME blended with VLSFO, and the other UCOME with HSFO.
In the first supply chain, Chevron supplied the B24 VLSFO blend to the CMA CGM Maupassant and the MOL Endowment, as well as supplying the B24 HSFO blend to Angelicoussis Group's tanker the Elizabeth I A and its own vessel the Singapore Voyager. In the second, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels supplied a B24 VLSFO blend to NYK's vessel the Lycaste Peace.
"The supply chain trials were undertaken under business-as-usual conditions in which individual fuel purchasers nominated their fuel suppliers of choice, and bunkering took place with vessels on commercial routes," the GCMD said in the statement.
"GCMD brought together marine fuel purchasers and suppliers, and balanced the dynamic needs of the many diverse stakeholders, vessel schedules, equipment and asset availabilities, spanning geographies and factoring in contingencies to complete the two supply chain trials.
"Alongside, GCMD coordinated with the surveyors, tracer technology and laboratory test providers to enable end-to-end tracing of biofuels during these trials.
"Collaborating and sharing transparently with willing project partners enabled these trials to take place successfully despite the complexities of the marine fuel supply chain and uncertainties in bunkering operations."
