Thu 13 May 2021, 12:32 GMT

Bunker One to supply biofuel in Danish straits


Supplier 'three to four weeks' away from being ready to make biofuel commercially available.


The Amak Swan - owned by Uni-Tankers and operated by Bunker One - has been trialling the use of biofuel prior to its rollout to customers.
Image: Bunker Holding
Bunker One - offshoot of the Bunker Holding umbrella which forms part of United Shipping & Trading Company (USTC) group - is soon to begin offering biofuel to vessels passing the Danish straits in the Skaw and Gothenburg areas.

Bunker One's tanker M/T Amak Swan, which has the capacity to store up to 3,500 metric tonnes of marine product, has already commenced trialling the use of biofuel with its own engine as part of the company's efforts to thoroughly test its performance prior to rolling out to customers.

Following quality control testing, Bunker One says it decided to proceed with the new B30 biofuel blend, which consists of a second-generation bio feedstock and is claimed to lower the Amak Swan's discharge of well-to-wake CO2 emissions by 26 percent.

The Amak Swan is owned by Uni-Tankers and operated by Bunker One. As part of the USTC group of companies, the three businesses involved are said to have leveraged their combined synergies to facilitate what Bunker Holding describes as "a quick and seamless transition phase".

According to Bunker Holding, the Amak Swan will use the new biofuel blend for an additional three to four weeks before Bunker One is ready to make the product commercially available.

Bunker Holding also notes that with the increase in demand for sustainable fuels, Bunker One is looking to expand its offering via the firm's physical operations around the world and that it is already working closely with customers regarding how to meet their specific sustainable fuel supply requirements.

Christoffer Berg Lassen, CCO of Bunker Holding, commented: "We are extremely pleased to have reached this important milestone in our sustainability journey and now have Amak Swan using biofuel. We are a strong supporter of the move to sustainable energy sources, and we have been intensifying our efforts within this important agenda for some time now.

"We realise that there are still many unanswered questions and uncertainties in connection with sustainable marine fuels, but we are confident that biofuel is a significant step in the right direction, as well as a necessary step for us as the world's largest bunker supplier."

Bunker Holding forms part of USTC and is the parent group of a number of businesses specializing in marine fuels, lubricants and hedging, including BMS United, Bunker One, Dan-Bunkering, Glander International Bunkering, Global Risk Management, KPI OceanConnect, LQM, Unicore Fuel, UniMarine and Unioil Supply.

During the 2019-20 fiscal year, Bunker Holding posted a record pre-tax profit of $155.2m - more than doubling the result of the previous 12-month period. Revenue, meanwhile, jumped from $5.65bn to $10.9bn between 2015-16 and 2019-20.


Illustration of balance scale with cargo ship and penalty block. FuelEU penalties spark contract disputes as first-year compliance costs emerge  

Shipowners and charterers negotiate biofuel handling, payment timing, and multiplier penalties under new regulations.

Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. Singapore tops first global container port ranking by DNV and Menon Economics  

The port leads across all five assessment pillars in inaugural industry report.

Jack Spyros Pringle, Lloyd’s Register. Marine fuel procurement becomes strategic imperative as regulatory pressures mount: LR  

Operators must adopt comprehensive fuel strategies amid supply constraints and compliance costs, says Lloyd's Register.

Xinfu124 ultra-large LNG carrier. Private Chinese shipbuilder plans to deliver eight dual-fuel boxships  

Yangzi Xinfu is fully booked until May 2029 and expected to post annual sales revenue exceeding $1.4 billion.

Østensjø Rederi newbuild tug render. Østensjø Rederi orders methanol-ready tug from Spanish shipyard  

Norwegian operator contracts Astilleros Gondán for vessel with diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system.

Bound4blue worker in safety gear. Bound4blue establishes China production base for wind propulsion systems  

Spanish wind propulsion firm targets Asian shipbuilding market with outsourced manufacturing network.

Alfa Laval and Hanwha Ocean Ecotech sign MoU. Alfa Laval and Hanwha Ocean Ecotech partner on ammonia fuel systems  

Collaboration aims to develop ammonia fuel technology for dual-fuel vessels in the Asian market.

Meg Dowling, Lloyd's Register. Nuclear-powered boxships could deliver $68m annual savings: Lloyd's Register  

Small modular reactors could eliminate fuel costs and carbon penalties while boosting cargo capacity, says report.

Minerva Bunkering and Autoridad Portuaria de Las Palmas (APLP) signing ceremony. Minerva Bunkering extends Las Palmas terminal concession by 15 years  

Bunker supplier adds barge capacity and explores new terminal for energy transition fuels.

Liam Blackmore, Lloyd's Register. Ammonia Energy Association releases gas detection whitepaper with Lloyd's Register input  

Lloyd's Register contributed expertise to new guidance on ammonia detection systems for the maritime sector.





 Recommended