Lauritzen Bulkers has bunkered a time-chartered vessel with B20-VLSFO in Gibraltar for a voyage from Chittagong to Otranto, marking a small step towards more sustainable shipping.

PHOTO: The Hercules Sky bunker barge, operated by Peninsula. Lauritzen Bulkers' LinkedIn account

The B20-VLSFO biofuel blend contained 20% fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and 80% VLSFO. Lauritzen says biofuel will help it align with the EU’s FuelEU Maritime regulation, which mandates a 2% reduction in the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity in the energy used onboard ships.

As part of FuelEU Maritime, vessels will be penalised if they fail to meet GHG intensity reduction targets. The targets are set to rise over time, to an 80% GHG intensity reduction by 2050.

The fuel was supplied by global marine fuel supplier Peninsula and delivered via the Hercules Sky bunker tanker.

Despite the successful bunkering, Lauritzen notes it faces challenges in the developing biofuel market. A key issue is securing small fuel parcels for its time-chartered vessels.

Finding suppliers capable of delivering 40-100 mt of B20-B30 biofuels remains difficult, underscoring the need for better fuel availability and infrastructure, it says.

The difficulty in sourcing such small fuel parcels highlights the current gaps in biofuel supply and infrastructure, which could hinder broader adoption across the industry.

By Gautamee Hazarika

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