Yang Ming to bunker with marine biodiesel

Taiwan’s containership firm Yang Ming marine will incorporate marine biodiesel bunkering operations into its fleet in collaboration with Hong Kong’s Pan Nation and Bunker Holding’s subsidiary KPI OceanConnect.

Yang Ming confirmed that the process has already commenced with two of its vessels, the 1,805 TEU YM Inception and the 6,600 TEU YM Masculinity, bunkering with a B24 marine biodiesel blend. The blend comprises very-low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) and fatty acid methyl ester (Fame), and the vessels are currently deployed on routes spanning Asia-Pacific and the Mideast Gulf. Yang Ming estimates a reduction of about 20pc in CO2 emissions from bunkering with the blend when compared with conventional fuel oil.

The addition of marine biodiesel bunkering into its fleet adds to operational efficiency efforts to optimise vessel performance, as well as Yang Ming’s order of five 15,500 TEU dual-fuel LNG vessels — delivery of which is expected to begin in two years.

Argus assessed the price of B24 dob Singapore, a marine biodiesel blend comprising 76pc VLSFO and 24pc used cooking oil methyl ester (Ucome), at $788.75/t on 7 March — higher than February’s average of $775.63/t. But the B24 Singapore blend remains competitive relative to European ports, with a similar B24 blend in Algeciras-Gibraltar marked at $798/t on the same day.