In a bid to decarbonise maritime shipping, innovators at Ocean Network Express (ONE) have successfully trialled the use of its new biofuel made from waste cooking oil on a container ship crossing the Atlantic.
ONE successfully used its biofuel to power a large container ship named M/V MOL Experience. The trial was completed on 7 February 2021, following bunkering at the port of Rotterdam, Netherlands in November 2020 and was performed in collaboration with shipowner Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and leading sustainable biofuel pioneer GoodFuels. This partnership demonstrated the industry’s desire to decarbonise maritime shipping and minimise its impact on the environment.
Takeshi Mishima, General Manager of Fleet Management, ONE, said: “The co-operation and co-ordination between GoodFuels and ONE was excellent, and the successful completion of the trial has confirmed that for ONE, biofuel is one of the solutions to reduce greenhouse gases. We at ONE, shall continue to invest in a cleaner, greener future.”
What is the biofuel made from?
During this first trial, the biofuel was blended with conventional fossil fuels enabling the M/V MOL Experience to make its Atlantic crossings between Europe and the USA. The success of the trial proves the viability of sustainable biofuels which will help ONE to meet its carbon reduction targets in 2030 and 2050, respectively.
The advanced biofuel used in the trial is made from waste oils such as used cooking oil. GoodFuels’ sustainable biofuels are virtually free of sulphur oxides and deliver an 80-90% reduction in CO2 versus fossil fuel equivalents. They are functionally equivalent to petroleum-derived marine fuels, and no modification is required to the engine or the fuel infrastructure.
This biofuel trial marks a positive step forwards for ONE’s sustainability initiatives, which includes four areas of priority: environment, social, governance, and operational excellence. The use of biofuels will help address our environmental sustainability targets, which aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (in gram/teu-km) by 25% from our 2018 baseline by 2030, and by 50% by 2050.
