Japan’s Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK) is launching its biofuel-test run on its very large crude oil tanker (VLCC) Tenjun.
The giant Japanese owner said the 302,108-dwt vessel, built in 2008, received an initial supply of biofuel in Singapore and will continue to use biofuel for approximately three months.
The aim is “to comprehensively verify the safe and stable procurement of biofuel for long-term use.”
Biofuels are made from organic resources (biomass) of biological origin, such as agricultural residues and waste cooking oil, and are considered to have virtually zero carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions when combusted.
As NYK explains, 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.
