Italian maritime transportation group Fratelli Cosulich, in partnership with IPLOM (Piedmont Industry Processing Mineral Oils), has begun producing and supplying its own bio VLSFO to reduce the GHG intensity of marine fuels and meet the EU requirements, according to Offshore Energy.
Fratelli delivered bio VLSFO in collaboration with Genoa-based barge company Ottavio Novella in February 2023, becoming the first supplier in Italy and one of the first in Europe to deliver it.
German liner company Hapag-Lloyd provided support and indicated one of its vessels to run the test, and Fratelli said that during the testing, the container vessel burnt the fuel with no issue. To note, the fuel is made up of 10% bio component sourced from an Italian biorefinery ISCC certified.
According to Fratelli, this biofuel will enable vessel owners and charterers to reduce GHG emissions by 10% and lower the cost of ETS coverage.
In addition to its new biofuel options, Fratelli has invested in new LNG bunker vessels and said it is studying the use of methanol as a marine fuel. In April this year, the Italian classification society RINA issued an Approval in Principle (AiP) for the design of a 21,000 cbm ammonia-fueled bunker tanker jointly developed by Fratelli Cosulich Bunkers Singapore and vessel design specialist SeaTech Solutions.