TotalEnergies, MOL complete first bio-VLSFO bunkering on Singapore to UAE voyage

A biofuel-blended VLSFO stem has been delivered by French bunker supplier TotalEnergies Marine Fuels to a RoRo vessel operated by Japanese shipping firm Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) in Singapore.

PHOTO: MOL's RoRo vessel Heroic Ace bunkers biofuel in Singapore. MOL

MOL-operated car and truck carrier, Heroic Ace, is said to have successfully completed a voyage from Singapore to UAE’s Jebel Ali using the biofuel.

TotalEnergies delivered the biofuel stem on 11 June through a ship-to-ship (STS) transfer, while the carrier performed cargo operations, says MOL.

The delivered biofuel was a blend of ISCC-certified UCOME (Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester) and VLSFO. MOL's initial analysis shows that the carrier's engine and machinery performed smoothly, demonstrating compatibility with biofuel.

The duo believes biofuel will provide an interim solution to decarbonise the shipping industry as it can be blended with conventional fuels with little or no modification on vessels.