NYK, Astomos and Sustainable Energy to study marine biofuel output from trash

Japanese shipping firm Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) and LPG importer Astomos, together with domestic energy supply firm Sustainable Energy, plan to work on producing marine biofuel from combustible trash on ocean-going vessels during voyages.

The three companies have agreed to equip vessels by the mid-2020s with an integrated subcritical water organic waste power generation (ISOP) system developed by Sustainable Energy. The amount of biofuel produced will depend on the type and moisture content of the waste, Astomos said.

The ISOP system produces raw material in a dry powdery form by decomposing organic substances such as flammable waste into low-molecular weight compounds with subcritical water treating technology in an enclosed space, without creating any harmful by-products such as dioxins.

The trash in voyages is usually carried to ports and incinerated, so the project will also use the waste and result in less carbon dioxide emissions, NYK said. Around 5,000 litre of waste is usually generated on a very large gas carrier on a 45-day round trip between Japan and the Middle East, Astomos added.

NYK on 25 August this year invested in Sustainable Energy to explore the potential use of organic waste for marine fuels, as part of efforts to achieve future decarbonisation of the marine sector. Astomos separately announced participation in Sustainable Energy’s ISOP project earlier in March.