Idemitsu Kosan and Kanematsu begin biofuel bunkering

Japanese oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan has partnered with trading house Kanematsu to supply ships with biofuel blends in Kokura.

IMAGE: FAME-blended biofuel being loaded onto a barge at Kanematsu Yuso’s Kokura Oil Tank Facility. Kanematsu Corporation

Idemitsu supplies heavy fuel oil that is blended with FAME biofuel sourced by Kanematsu. The blending takes place at an oil tank facility operated by Kanematsu subsidiary Kanematsu Yuso.

The ISCC-certified bio-blends are then supplied to ships by barges loading from Kanematsu Yuso's shipping facilities at its Kokura Oil Tank terminal.

Idemitsu expects demand to rise and said it also plans to use its own shipping facilities, which can handle increased volumes.

The biofuel blends are already being supplied to shipping companies like Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line).

The partners aim to supply a total of 5,000 mt of biofuel by March next year - both to ocean-going ships and to coastal vessels. That is equivalent to the amount of fuel consumed by a 300,000 dwt vessel operating for approximately 50 days, the company noted.

This commercial launch follows successful operational tests conducted by Idemitsu on coastal vessels in Hokkaido between 2023-2024. The tests confirmed that ships were able to operate on this fuel with existing equipment, even in the cold Hokkaido region where the fuel risked solidifying.

This bio-blend is expected have about 20% lower greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fuel, Idemitsu said.

Idemitsu said it also plans to build a domestic bunker supply system for e-methanol.

By Nachiket Tekawade

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