Shipping company proves viability of biofuel for decarbonising marine transportation
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The world's largest B100 biofuel tests to date found that biofuel resulted in a 23 per cent reduction in CO2 across the fleet’s total life cycle
Spotted: Montreal-based global shipowner The CSL Group (CSL) is celebrating having completed the world’s longest-running trials of B100 biodiesel on marine engines, accumulating a total of almost 30,000 running hours.
The test was conducted on half of CSL’s Canadian fleet in partnership with Canada Clean Fuels and Sterling Fuels. Effectively, 14,000 tonnes of marine gas oil was substituted for 100 per cent biofuel, which did not require any modifications to existing ship equipment.
Compared to marine gas oil, the biofuel resulted in a 23 per cent reduction in CO2 in the fleet’s total life cycle. These emission reductions were calculated through the Canadian government’s life cycle emission tool GHGenius.
The biofuel trials were conducted on eight ships over a period of six months. The company said that the B100 biodiesel was tested on both main and auxiliary engines. Moreover, the biofuel used was produced entirely from waste plant material sourced in North America.
Louis Martel, CSL’s President and CEO explains that these test results, “confirm the potential of biodiesel as a realistic and immediate alternative to fossil fuel that holds great potential to support the decarbonisation of the marine transportation sector in Canada and throughout the world.”
He continues, “We encourage the International Marine Organization, the Government of Canada and governments around the world to recognise the credible impact of biofuels as an interim solution in reducing emissions, and to support and implement a cost-competitive framework that promotes its use and secures supply.”
Other recent innovations focused on fossil-fuel alternatives include a commercial flight powered by cooking. You can also check out our Wise Words with Professor Pennie Lindeque from Plymouth Marine Laboratory, who is exploring whether mussels could work as biofilters for microplastics which could then be used as a source of biofuel.