UECC to Test Marine Biofuel on Ro-Ro Vessel

European ro-ro operator UECC will trial the use of marine biofuel marking the first such trial of the sustainable fuel in the roll-on/roll-off sector. 

UECC is partnering Netherlands-based GoodFuels in the three-month trial which will test 3,000 metric tons of GoodFuels’ Bio-Fuel Oil (MR1-100) on board the M/V Autosky. 

The fuel will be bunkered in the Port of Rotterdam and will be the first in a series of bunkering operations between March and May 2020, the companies said. 

M/V Autosky will test BFO on its normal route between Zeebrugge, Belgium and Santander, Spain, and will result in a reduction of more than 6,500 tonnes of CO₂ emissions on a well-to-wake basis, according to the companies. 

GoodFuels’ BFO is the first ever residual fuel-equivalent biofuel requiring no changes to marine engines. The biofuel ‘drops in’ to normal fuel tanks, virtually eliminating CO₂ and substantially reducing SO_X. Due to the absence of sulphur, the Bio-Fuel Oil can also be used to replace distillate fuels.

“This agreement demonstrates our commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of our existing tonnage and further complements the emissions reductions on our existing LNG fleet, as well as our LNG battery hybrid newbuilds,” said Daniel Gent, Energy & Sustainability Manager at UECC.

The 6,500 dwt M/V Autosky was built in 2000 and is registered in Portugal. It is one of 20 vessels in UECC’s purpose-built fleet providing transportation of cars, vans, and high and heavy cargo in Europe.  

“We are proud to be bunkering sustainable marine Bio-Fuel Oil on M/V Autosky, kicking off the first use of low-carbon fuels with our friends and partners at UECC,” said Isabel Welten, CCO of GoodFuels. “This trial will help UECC to further prove the applicability and technical suitability of biofuels for the ro-ro segment. Importantly, we also want to prove to leading car manufacturers that biofuels are a great way to immediately decarbonise their cargo and help change the sector for the better.”

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