TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has successfully completed the first refuelling of a COSCO Shipping Lines containership with sustainable marine biofuel. This operation marks TotalEnergies’ first biofuel bunkering operation for a containership in Singapore.
On 11th July 2022, the 4,250 TEU COSCO HOUSTON container vessel was bunkered with TotalEnergies-supplied biofuel in Singapore waters, via ship-to-ship transfer. VLSFO (Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil) blended with 20% second-generation, waste-based and ISCC-certified UCOME (Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester), was bunkered via an operation that was made possible with support from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the involvement of local partners such as tank storage company, Vopak Terminals Singapore at Penjuru.
From a well-to-wake assessment, the biofuel will reduce approximately 17% of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions compared with conventional fuel oil. The biofuel has been consumed during the container vessel’s voyage to Jakarta, Indonesia.
Laura Ong, General Manager of Trading and Operations for Asia Pacific, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, based in Singapore, said: “We are honoured to partner COSCO Shipping Lines, one of the world’s largest container shipping companies, in their decarbonization journey with the provision of their first biofuel bunker stem. This successful collaboration lays a foundation for both companies to explore new joint initiatives that promote the introduction of clean, low-carbon alternative fuels.”
Laura added: “This milestone bio-bunkering operation also further validates the important role of biofuels in decarbonizing conventional marine fuels, and the potential greenhouse gas reduction gains it can bring to existing vessels. In line with TotalEnergies’ climate ambition to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 together with society, we will continue to scale up our biofuel capabilities and to support the growing interest for sustainable marine biofuels in this region.”
This operation follows successful biofuel bunkering trials that TotalEnergies Marine Fuels performed in Singapore with a vehicle carrier operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) and a bulk carrier chartered by NYK Line this year.
Biofuels as a Marine Fuel
Biofuels provide an immediate and sustainable solution to decarbonize shipping today, as they can be blended or dropped into existing conventional fuels with little or no technological developments required on vessels.
As part of TotalEnergies’ strategy to produce a new generation of biofuels for use in transport, TotalEnergies is investing in advanced biofuels projects based on sustainable feedstock , thereby sourcing from the circular economy and limiting the competition for and impact on arable land.
These initiatives reinforce TotalEnergies’ climate ambition to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 together with society. In parallel, TotalEnergies Marine Fuels is committed to drive the decarbonization of shipping through the provision of clean and low-carbon marine fuel solutions across the short and long-term.