Brazilian headquartered and globally operating mining company Vale in partnership with German based and family-owned shipowner Oldendorff Carriers, has just commenced their first biofuel trial voyage on a bulk vessel.
Oldendorff Carriers states, that its vessel “Hinrich Oldendorff” being a 209,113 deadweight newcastlemax bulk carrier built 2016, bunkered the biofuel in Singapore on 16th October on the ballast voyage to Brazil.
The “Hinrich Oldendorff” loaded then this Tuesday 28th November Vale’s iron ore at Guaiba Island Terminal and will consume the blended biofuel on the laden leg from Brazil to Asia.
Oldendorff Carriers has previously performed biofuel trials on smaller vessels and for shorter voyages, but this will be the first full voyage consuming biofuel on a Newcastlemax bulk carrier.
The B24 biofuel on board is a blend of about 24% used cooking oil of vegetable origin (286 metric tonnes) and the balance is fuel oil Oldendorff Carriers mentions, and the product supplied is both European Union Renewable Energy Directive (EU RED) compliant and certified by International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC).
The company also informs that the expected well-to-wake CO2 equivalent savings is around 18% or 784 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent and will contribute to Vale’s Scope 3 emission reduction.
Using biofuel on the laden voyage is part of the Ecoshipping program, an R&D initiative developed by Vale shipping area to reduce the shipping greenhouse gas emissions in line with the ambitions set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
“We are delighted that Vale has chosen Oldendorff Carriers for their first biofuel voyage. We look forward to investigating further opportunities together with Vale to advance the shipping and mining industries progress in achieving sustainability goals,” says Patrick Hutchins, chief executive of Oldendorff Carriers.
Michelle Gonzalez, general manager of Chartering, Long-Term Contracts and Operations at Vale, says that “We are happy to have great shipping partners committed to support our initiatives and make it happen, genuine collaborations and partnerships will be the key of the success.”
