Japanese shipping company Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK Line) has initiated a biofuel trial on its coal carrier, the Noshiro Maru, which is operated by domestic power utility company Tohoku Electric Power.
This is the “first time” in Japan, according to NYK, that a coal carrier has been used to test biofuel for a domestic power utility company.
Mitsubishi Corporation Energy in the Keihin area facilitated the supply of biofuel for the vessel.
Biofuels are made from organic resources (biomass) of biological origin, such as agricultural residues and waste cooking oil.
“Since they can be used in heavy-oil-powered ship engines, which are common on large merchant ships, biofuels are considered a key means of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transition period from heavy oil to zero-emission fuels,” NYK said.
The use of biofuel to reduce GHG emissions during sea navigation is also intended to reduce “Scope 3 GHG emissions generated by transporting customers’ cargo,” the company added.
