U‑Ming Marine Transport Corporation (UMTC) announced that it completed its first bunkering of FAME B24 biofuel aboard its bulk carrier Asian Progress on 24 July.
The FAME B24 biofuel is a blend of 24 % Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) and 76 % conventional marine fuel.
FAME is derived from biodiesel, which in turn is produced from natural fats and oils. The B24 blend can reduce the lifecycle CO₂ emissions of a vessel by about 20 %.
UMTC reported that since 2023 it has increased reliance on low‑carbon fuels, and by 2024 LNG accounted for around 8.15 % of the company’s total energy use.
However, UMTC stated that LNG vessels require large and bulky LNG fuel tanks that are impractical on smaller vessels.
As a solution, UMTC has switched to using B24 biofuel, which it says is more flexible for smaller vessels, and it began using B24 on its vessel Yu Zhan.
The Asian Progress is a Singapore‑flagged bulk carrier, with a length of 199 metres, a beam of 32 metres, and a gross tonnage of 36,230.
U‑Ming Marine Transport Corporation is a publicly listed company on the Taiwan Stock Exchange, headquartered in Taipei. Incorporated in 1984 and part of the Far Eastern Group, UMTC operates a global fleet of bulk carriers, including ultramax, kamsarmax, supramax, and capesize vessels, engaged in marine transportation and logistics of dry bulk commodities and industrial raw materials.
TFG Marine PTE LTD is a marine fuel logistics company operating in the Port of Singapore.