K Line completes third biofuel trial

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K LINE) has completed its third biofuel trial on board its ships as part of its decarbonization efforts.

The company said that the trial involved the use of B24 marine biofuel comprising 24% fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) blended with very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO). The fuel was supplied by integrated energy company bp to the Capesize bulker Cape Tsubaki with the cooperation of the charterer, JFE Steel Corporation.

The vessel was supplied with biofuel in Singapore on 26 November 2022. In December 2022, after completing the loading of iron ore at Ponta da Madeira, the vessel started consuming the biofuel while navigating to the discharging port in Kawasaki.

In this trial, biofuel had been stored for 2 months in a tank, and it was used for the long voyage after storage without any large problems, K Line added.

As disclosed, the FAME component of the marine biofuel blend used in this trial enabled a GHG emissions reduction of about 80-90% in the well-to-wake process without changing current engine specifications.

K Line has already conducted the same kind of trial use of marine biofuel for a Supramax bulker for carrying hot-rolled steel coils with JFE Steel Corporation. The third trial was conducted for their raw materials shipments.

The Japanese shipping company started testing biofuel on its vessels at the end of 2021. The first trial saw its car carrier Polaris Highway bunker biofuel provided by bp at the Dutch port of Flushing in November 2021.

The trials have been crucial for the company in building-up expertise in the operation of biofuels on its ships.

The Japanese shipowner aims to halve its CO2 emissions by 2030 compared with 2008 levels, surpassing the IMO target of a 40% improvement. By 2050, K Line wants to become a net-zero company.