EMEA News
Exxonmobil Developing Marine Biofuels Offer to Shipping
Oil major and marine fuels supplier Exxonmobil is "currently talking to multiple customers about biofuels", the company has said.
In a post on the company's website, Aly Abdelmotaal, who is product development manager for aviation and marine, noted recent biofuel deliveries to Hapag Lloyd and Wallenius Wilhelmsen, adding that the plan "is to grow this further".
Abdelmotaal said that there have been further biofuel deliveries in the UK from the company's Fawley refinery to several ports along the south coast. A successful test cited by Abdelmotaal involved a delivery to a Foreland Shipping vessel under charter with the UK defence ministry, as well as a delivery to a cruise line operator.
According to Abdelmotaal, biofuel is likely to loom large in the first phase of shipping's decarbonisation. That phase has biofuels, which can be used without the need for engine modifications, and liquid natural gas as the two main choices to generate lower-emissions.
In the second phase, he expects that there will be a switch in focus to alternative fuels such as methanol, ammonia and hydrogen.
"These are areas where we are actively exploring technologies and efficient pathways to meet our customers' low emission fuels needs," he said.
Wallenius Wilhelmsen signed a biofuel bunkers deal with Exxonmobil last year.
