“K” LINE conducts trial use of marine biofuel on a Capesize bulker
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. (“K” LINE) is pleased to announce that we have conducted the trial use of B24 marine biofuel comprising 24% fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) blended with very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), which was supplied by integrated energy company bp to the Capesize bulker “CAPE TSUBAKI” with the cooperation of the charterer, JFE Steel Corporation.
This is third successful trial use of marine biofuel by a “K” LINE vessel. “K” LINE would like to accumulate expertise on the operation and use of biofuels.
The vessel was supplied with the 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 the biofuel was used for the long voyage after storage without any large problems. 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 (from fuel generation to consumption) process without changing current engine specifications.
In addition to this trial, “K” LINE already has conducted the same kind of trial use of marine biofuel for a Supramax bulker for carrying hot-rolled steel coils with JFE Steel Corporation.
Now “K” LINE has also conducted this trial for their raw materials shipments. “K” LINE aims to contribute the decarbonization of all of the marine transportation in the customer’s supply chain. In “K” LINE Environmental Vision 2050 -Blue Seas for the Future, we have set the 2030 interim target of improving CO2 emissions efficiency by 50% compared with 2008, surpassing the IMO target of a 40% improvement. Furthermore, we set our new target for 2050 as “The Challenge of Achieving Net-Zero GHG Emissions.” As an action plan, we will continue to work on the introduction of new fuels which have a low environmental impact and take on the challenge of achieving the targets we have established.