Leading short sea ro-ro operator UECC and sustainable marine biofuel pioneer GoodFuels have launched a joint trial of GoodFuels Bio-Fuel Oil (MR1-100 or BFO) on UECC’s ro-ro vessel M/V Autosky.

The three-month trial will test 3,000 metric tonnes of sustainable biofuel on the 140m, 2080 vehicle carrier. The biobunkering, which will take place in the Port of Rotterdam, will be the first in a series of bunkering operations between March and May 2020. M/V Autosky will test BFO on its normal route between Zeebrugge, Belgium and Santander, Spain and will result in a reduction of more than 6,500 metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions on a well-to-wake basis.

The announcement comes at a time when the industry is under increasing scrutiny to improve its sustainability and move towards decarbonisation. With scalability, sustainable marine biofuel effectively allows shipowners and operators to comply with both the 2020 0.50% sulfur cap, as well as future regulations on carbon reduction by 2030 and 2050.

GoodFuels’ BFO is the first residual-fuel-equivalent biofuel, requiring no changes to marine engines. The biofuel drops in to normal fuel tanks, virtually eliminating CO₂ and substantially reducing SO_x. Due to the absence of sulfur, the Bio-Fuel Oil can also be used to replace distillate fuels.

Following the trial period UECC and GoodFuels will explore further options for continuing marine biofuel uptake within the ro-ro segment.

UECC was founded in 1990 and is jointly owned by Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) and Wallenius Lines.