German ship management company MINSHIP Shipmanagement GmbH & Co. KG and its subsidiary MINMARINE have announced that M/V Trudy, a bulk carrier in their fleet of managed vessels, has successfully bunkered biofuel at the Port of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The biofuel oil (BFO) will be the only fuel used in the main engine of M/V Trudy over the next 8-10 days enabling the vessel to achieve up to 90 percent reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions compared to conventional fossil shipping fuel.
The biofuel bunkered by 30 790 dwt bulk carrier on April 17, 2020, was GoodFuels’ sustainable Bio-fuel Oil MR1-100: which is a second-generation sustainable biofuel produced from certified feedstock that is labelled as waste or residue.
According to the company, the adoption of biofuel is a “huge step” towards MINSHIP and its customers reaching their ambitious CO2 reduction goals. Throughout the inaugural biofuel-powered trial voyage taken by M/V Trudy from the Port of Rotterdam, relevant performance indicators will be closely monitored to help inform future operations.
Additional trials on further vessels under MINSHIP’s management are planned with a view to making biofuel a real alternative for their managed fleet to reduce carbon footprint.
Following more than a year of preparations between multiple stakeholders, including ship owners, fuel suppliers, flag states, insurance companies and manufacturers, the initiation of this trial, led by subsidiary organization MINMARINE, has only been possible through the vision and support of GoodFuels. This trial is a significant landmark for MINSHIP as it will allow us to demonstrate that the use of available green, alternative fuels can make shipping less dependent on fossil fuels right now, said Markus Hiltl, Managing Director, MINSHIP Shipmanagement.
