Nippon Yusen and Shin Nihon Kaisha (both part of Japan’s NYK Group) have begun testing Neste Renewable Diesel supplied by Itochu Corp
The tests are being conducted on Chikua Maru, a 36-m tugboat operated by Shin Nihon.
NYK Group said this is the first case in Japan where 100% biodiesel fuel was burned on a ship.
Biofuels are made from renewable biological organic resources, and result in considerably lower CO2 emissions when burned. With increasing demand to reduce greenhouse gases emitted from ships by oceangoing shipping around the world, biofuels are attracting attention as one of the marine fuels that can replace heavy oil.
Itochu Corp signed an import contract for Japan with the Finnish oil refiner Neste.
Neste’s renewable diesel is manufactured from waste cooking oil and animal oil the manufacturer claims would not be used by the food industry and says it can reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a lifecycle assessment basis by approximately 90% compared with petroleum-derived diesel fuel. It can also be used as a ’drop-in’ fuel without modifying the existing infrastructure such as the engine.
NYK Group said it will continue to promote the use of biofuels.
Group company NYK Line has also signed agreements with propeller manufacturer Nakashima Propeller and hull design company Fluid Techno that will see the shipowner install energy saving devices on up to 50 dry bulk vessels over the next three years.
