The dual-fuel tanker Fure Valö has performed the first voyage on a new Equinor fuel blend containing used cooking oil.
Fure Valö made a roundtrip from Mongstad in Norway to Reykjavik in Iceland on Equinor’s blend of 30% renewable fuel and 70% marine gasoil from the Mongstad refinery. No adverse effects on performance or consumption were detected compared to conventional marine gasoil.
The renewable fuel component in the blend is biodiesel made from used cooking oil. It brings a certified reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 87.5% versus its fossil fuel equivalent.
Testing will continue during five to six roundtrips between Mongstad and Iceland to prove performance in the harsh weather-exposed trade on the North Atlantic, as well as and handling over time.
Equinor chose to perform the test in close cooperation with Furetank, as the company is considered to be a test partner with a proactive approach and strong level of commitment towards innovative solutions.
“Acting as test pilots for this new lower-emission fuel is an important and honourable mission for us,” says Furetank CEO Lars Höglund. “Even if we primarily run our dual-fuel vessels on /LBG or gasoil today, they are designed to be flexible, future-proof and easily converted to run on any fuel that will prove to be the right choice for the future.”
All vessels in the Furetank Vinga series have dual-fuel capacity. They are equipped with strongly insulated stainless steel fuel tanks on deck, designed to contain pressurized, liquefied gas. These high-performance tanks could also store for example ammonia or hydrogen. It is anticipated that little conversion work would be required for the vessels to switch fuels.
