IKEA Transport & Logistics Services and the CMA CGM Group say that they have completed a successful marine biofuel test programme.

The test took place on the containership CMA CGM ALEXANDER VON HUMBOLD as it sailed from Northern Europe to Asia from September to October. 

During the trial, bio-fuel oil was used in a blend with conventional fossil-based marine fuels to power the vessel.

“The application of the bio-fuel oil showed a positive result,” the companies report, “proving the technical compatibility of sustainable marine biofuels.” 

The firms add that “the developments demonstrate the viability of advanced biofuels to meet current and future environmental regulations and emissions reductions targets – delivering a more sustainable shipping industry”.

The bio-fuel oil trialled by CMA CGM was supplied by leading biofuels company GoodFuels, and is said to be the first ever HFO-equivalent biofuel.

GoodFuels claims that its marine fuels are virtually Sox free and deliver up to 90% well-to-propeller CO2 reduction versus fossil equivalents. 

“With scalability, bio-fuel oil effectively future-proofs requirements for shipowners and operators to comply with future regulations on carbon reduction by 2030 and 2050,” says GoodFuels.

The trials were part of the GoodShipping Program – the world’s first decarbonisation initiative for cargo owners.  

The GoodShipping Program works on the premise that "as all CO2 from shipping is emitted into the same atmosphere, the means of mitigating these emissions is equally impactful, regardless of which vessels adopt biofuels over traditional bunker fuels – or the amount of ‘drop in’ biofuel that is added to the fuel tank, as long as it offsets the CO2 costs of transporting participating shippers’ cargo". 

This flexible approach, they say, provides greater scope for immediate impact, while having the same net effect in averting the effects of climate change. 

“The success of the test programme with IKEA and CMA CGM builds further evidence of the important role that bio-fuel oil will play in the marine fuel mix, and proves that initiatives already exist on the market for cargo owners to realise their decarbonisation goals,” says Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO of The GoodShipping Program.

“We are committed to helping more cargo owners unlock the potential of this direct decarbonisation option in the near future, as the sector continues to embrace its wider carbon reduction efforts.”