Marine biofuel refueling in Rotterdam a success

In the Netherlands, IKEA Transport & Logistics Services, CMA CGM, the GoodShipping Program and the Port of Rotterdam announced the successful refuelling of the CMA CGM White Shark with sustainable marine bio-fuel oil.

The test, which represents a major step for the decarbonisation of ocean freight, saw the companies work together in a first-of-its-kind partnership for the shipping industry. The CMA CGM White Shark, a 5,095 TEU (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units) container vessel, was refuelled with the bio-fuel oil on Saturday while calling at Rotterdam.

Results from the trial will give the maritime sector a vital demonstration into the scalability, sustainability and technical compliance of sustainable marine bio-fuel oil. This will benefit all industry stakeholders in their environmental strategies, in line with the impending International Maritime Organisation (IMO) decarbonisation pathway.

The sustainable marine bio-fuel oil was developed by GoodFuels, the leading provider of sustainable marine biofuels to the global commercial shipping fleet, after undergoing three years of intensive testing with marine engine manufacturers. The second-generation bio-fuel oil is completely derived from forest residues and waste cooking oil products, is expected to deliver 80-90% well-to-propeller CO2 reduction versus fossil equivalents, and virtually eliminates sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions – all without any requirement for engine modifications.