Wallenius Wilhelmsen advances with biofuel integration using mass-balance concept

Norway-based shipping company Wallenius Wilhelmsen plans to incorporate biofuels into its marine fuel mix.

PHOTO: Wallenius Wilhelmsen

The company aims to replace over 10% of its marine fuel consumption with biofuel blends in 2024, primarily using a B30 blend comprising 30% biofuel and 70% conventional fuel. The biofuel blend provides an emission savings of nearly 25% compared to conventional marine fuels, Wallenius Wilhelmsen claims.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen plans to use biofuel blends derived from used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME), avoiding palm oil or its derivatives. In the near term, it will use biofuel blends on existing vessels, enabling its customers to reduce their carbon footprint.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen has not disclosed the total quantity of B30 blend it plans to bunker in 2024.

The limited availability of biofuel blends in a few ports may hinder the transition from conventional marine fuels, Wallenius Wilhelmsen acknowledged. In order to tackle this, the company has introduced a lower-emission shipment carbon insetting program based on the mass balance concept.

Its customers will have the option to purchase carbon credits for their shipments, which are equivalent to shipments made on Wallenius Wilhelmsen's biofuel-fuelled vessels.

Shipping firms such as HMM and Maersk are offering similar carbon-insetting programs to help customers reduce their carbon footprint. These programs help customers buy carbon credit even if their shipments are made on vessels powered by conventional marine fuels.

Wallenius Wilhelmsen seeks to bunker biofuel blends in ports in Europe and Asia. The emission reduction credits from some of its ships powered by biofuel will be infused into this program.

“The emission savings we achieve by replacing conventional fuel with a biofuel blend is recorded in our internal Emission Bank using a methodology known as ‘insetting’,” Head of the Orcelle Accelerator Taskforce at Wallenius Wilhelmsen Jon Tarjei Kråkenes said. “From here emission reductions compared to using conventional fuels are allocated to the cargo belonging to our customers purchasing the Reduced Carbon Service”.

This approach ensures verified emission reductions for customers, independently validated by third parties, Kråkenes said.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee

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