Port of London Authority installs biofuel storage to curb vessel emissions

Port of London Authority (PLA) installs two tanks to store 20,000 litres of pollution-busting hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).

PHOTO: HVO loaded onto vessel. PLA

These tanks are located in Gravesend on the Thames, while two more are due to be installed at Barrier Gardens Pier in Woolwich after refurbishment works have been completed.

Thames Marine Services (TMSL) has been appointed as the PLA’s HVO supplier. The company has invested to modify its barges to carry biofuel and says it can supply several different vessel types, including passenger ferries, container ships and navy ships.

PLA aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040 and has set an interim target of halving carbon emissions by 2025 compared to 2014 levels, when it emitted about 2,000 mt of carbon dioxide. It plans to adopt biofuel across its entire fleet, which contributes to 75% of the PLA’s total carbon emission.