BP and Maersk Tankers have successfully completed trials using biofuel-blended marine fuel in product tankers, demonstrating that sustainable biofuels can be used as a marine ‘drop-in fuel’.
Global shipping accounts for around 3% of the global carbon emissions.
BP is a major global marine fuel and lubricants supplier and operator and charterer of tankers and other vessels worldwide. Maersk Tankers commercially manages the largest tanker fleet in the world. The companies came together in this trial as part of their contribution to the decarbonisation of the industry.
Carol Howle, BP’s executive vice president of trading and shipping, said: “At any one time bp has around 300 ships on the water moving our products around the world. With an ambition to be a net zero company by 2050 and help the world get there too, it’s vital we help decarbonize this hard-to-abate sector. We’re proud to be working with a partner like Maersk Tankers, to develop new alternative fuels and low carbon solutions that will help accelerate the shipping industry’s energy transition.”
The trials were completed on Maersk Cirrus and Maersk Navigator – product tankers on time-charter to bp from Maersk Tankers.
Christian Ingerslev, Maersk Tankers’ chief executive officer, added: “The need to cut emissions is one of the most important challenges facing shipping right now. We are only able to rise to this challenge if we do it in partnerships and explore a multitude of solutions. With bp, we are combining our expertise to play our part in testing and making alternative fuels available.”
Each vessel was supplied with BP Marine B30 biofuel, consisting of 30% fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) blended with very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO).Source