Kinkai Yusen is set to conduct a biofuel demonstration operation at Hakata Port on 16 June, marking what the Tokyo-based company says is the first instance of a domestic scheduled roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel bunkering biofuel at the port.

The demonstration will take place aboard the Nanotsu, an 8,348 gross tonne ro-ro vessel operating on the Hakata Port–Tsuruga Port route. Biofuel refuelling is scheduled to begin at 16:30 on the day, at Hakozaki Wharf No. 11 in Fukuoka City’s Higashi-ku district.

The fuel to be used is a B24 blend — a mixture of biofuel and conventional marine fuel at a 24% biofuel ratio, which Kinkai Yusen notes can be used without major modifications to existing engines or fuel supply equipment.

The procurement of the biofuel is being carried out in cooperation with Tokyo firms Idemitsu Kosan and Itochu Enex.

Kinkai Yusen said the initiative forms part of its broader efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its operations, which also include the promotion of modal shift — the transfer of cargo from road to sea transport. Through these measures, the firm says it aims to contribute to the construction of a sustainable society, in line with its vision of “designing a brighter future for Japan with the power of ships and people”.

The refuelling schedule is subject to change, depending on weather conditions.