Tue 11 Jan 2022 11:03

Australia's largest co-operative in biofuel trial


BP blend expected to reduce emissions by 15 percent.


The 2016-built dry bulk carrier Edwine Oldendorff.
Image: Oldendorff Carriers
A trial voyage using biofuel for CBH Group, Australia's largest co-operative and one of the country's biggest agribusinesses, is being performed on the Edwine Oldendorff from Australia to Vietnam.

An advanced biofuel blend delivered by BP was used to refuel the cargo ship that is expected to result in a 15 percent reduction in emissions compared to conventional fossil fuels, according to the supplier.

The vessel last week loaded 30,000 tonnes of sustainably certified malting barley from the Albany Grain Terminal — one of CBH's four export terminals — for discharge in Vietnam.

The cereal grain is being delivered to Vietnam's leading malting company, Intermalt. The firm's malting plant in Cai Mep, Vietnam — opened in 2017 — is the biggest in South East Asia and services a number of brewing customers — the largest being Heineken, which has set itself the target of attaining a carbon-neutral value chain by 2040.

The aim of this trial of a second-generation biofuel is to test the supply chain and provide CBH and Oldendorff Carriers with greater experience regarding the practical issues involved in powering vessels with renewable energy blends.

Furthermore, the emission reduction potential of the fuel has been analyzed as part of Oldendorff Carriers' research agreement with MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Jason Craig, Chief Marketing and Trading Officer of CBH, commented: "Customers across the world are increasingly seeking to source sustainable products, including sustainable grain. It is our role, as Australia's leading grain exporter, to take the necessary steps to lower carbon emissions along our supply chain. Biofuel is one low-carbon option that could be part of the solution to reducing emissions in the shipping industry.

"We need to meet the growing market demand for sustainable or carbon-reduced grain by being proactive, practical and adapting. By doing this, we are making sure we can continue to keep our Western Australian growers competitive."

Ben Harper, Managing Director at Oldendorff Carriers, Melbourne, remarked: "We are very pleased to be collaborating with industry leaders CBH to trial biofuel in our vessel Edwine Oldendorff. Collaboration is crucial for us all to learn and share information about the best paths in our efforts to decarbonize the supply chain."

Last year, Oldendorff, together with BHP, GoodFuels and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), conducted the first marine biofuel trial involving an ocean-going vessel bunkered in Singapore. The 2020-built, 81,290-deadweight-tonne (dwt) dry bulk carrier Kira Oldendorff was bunkered with 'drop-in' advanced biofuel blended with conventional fossil fuels.

Shipowner and operator Oldendorff, which usually has around 750 bulk carriers under operation at any one time, aims to become emissions-free by 2050. The company has been able to lower its carbon footprint by swapping 90 percent of its fleet capacity into a new generation of 'eco' ships, whilst its Greenship Project targets the reduction of CO2 emissions via the use of fuel-saving devices, performance monitoring, low-friction paint and trim optimization.

According to vessel-tracking data, the Edwine Oldendorff departed from Albany, Western Australia, on January 9 and is set to arrive in Cai Mep, Vietnam, on January 20.


The Buffalo 404 barge, owned by Buffalo Marine Service Inc., performing a bunker delivery. TFG Marine installs first ISO-certified mass flow meter on US Gulf bunker barge  

Installation marks expansion of company's digitalisation programme across global fleet.

Sogestran's fuel supply vessel, the Anatife, at the port of Belle-Île-en-Mer. Sogestran's HVO-powered tanker achieves 78% CO2 reduction on French island fuel runs  

Small tanker Anatife saves fuel while supplying Belle-Île and Île d'Yeu.

Crowley 1,400 TEU LNG-powered containership, Tiscapa. Crowley deploys LNG-powered boxship Tiscapa for Caribbean and Central American routes  

Vessel is the third in company's Avance Class fleet to enter service.

The inland LNG bunker vessel LNG London. LNG London completes 1,000 bunkering operations in Rotterdam and Antwerp  

Delivery vessel reaches milestone after five years of operations across ARA hub.

The M.V. COSCO Shipping Yangpu, China's first methanol dual-fuel containership. COSCO vessel completes maiden green methanol bunkering at Yangpu  

China's first methanol dual-fuel containership refuels with green methanol derived from urban waste.

Carsten Ladekjær, CEO of Glander International Bunkering. Glander International Bunkering reports stable performance amid regulatory changes  

Bunker trader achieves $3bn turnover and $22m pre-tax earnings for fiscal 2024-25.

Map of the Mediterranean Sea ULSFO demand surges in Med as ECA compliance drives fuel shift  

KPI OceanConnect reports accelerating ULSFO uptake across the region.

The Zale performing a bunker delivery. Monjasa reports Singapore as top bunker supply port with over 1 MMT delivered  

Supplier says world's largest bunkering hub became its biggest supply location in 2024.

Steel cutting ceremony for the 7,999 DWT chemical bunker tanker Lucia Cosulich at Taizhou Maple Leaf Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in China. Fratelli Cosulich begins construction of second methanol-ready bunker tanker  

Italian firm starts steel cutting for 7,999 DWT chemical bunker vessel.

Petrobras logo. Petrobras introduces volume-based price discounts at Santos  

Brazilian oil company offers progressive discounts for bunker deliveries exceeding 1,500 tonnes.


↑  Back to Top