Stolt Tanker biofuel trial hailed a success
The 37,000 dwt chemical tanker Stolt Inspiration recently completed her transatlantic voyage partly powered by a marine biofuel produced from sustainable and certified feedstocks.
Stolt Inspiration bunkered the biofuel, derived from used cooking oil, tallow and waste animal fats, in Rotterdam in April.
The biofuel, provided by GoodFuels, is functionally equal to petroleum-derived marine fuels, and no modifications to the engine or the fuel infrastructure were required.
During the crossing from Rotterdam, the Netherlands to Houston, US, the key objective was to understand the impact of the biofuel on consumption, power and reliability in both engines and boilers.
The company said the equipment performed as expected and the use of the second-generation biofuel resulted in an 85-90% reduction in well-to-exhaust CO2 emissions when compared to traditional fuels.
Lucas Vos, President Stolt Tankers said it was great to see the positive results of the biofuel trial.
“We are exploring several alternative fuels for our fleet as the industry moves towards a carbon-neutral future,” Vos added.
The company plans to continue to investigate the viability of biofuels, considering availability and costs which are typically around 10% higher than existing fuels.