Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp.(Seanergy), the only pure-play Capesize ship-owner publicly listed in the United States (US), has announced that it has successfully completed marine biofuel trials in cooperation with one of its major charterers, NYK Line, on one of the company’s Capesize vessels.
Seanergy provides marine dry bulk transportation services through a modern fleet of 17 Capesize vessels with an average age of 12 years and an aggregate cargo-carrying capacity of over 3 million dwt.
The fuel used in this trial consisted of a 0.50 percent very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) blended with a waste-based and ISCC certified Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) component at a 90:10 ratio. Advanced real-time monitoring instruments and artificial intelligence (AI) has been used to assess the results of the trials.
The new marine biofuels coming to market can contribute significantly to the imminent need to reduce GHG emissions. We strongly believe that using biofuels, in combination with the Energy Saving Devices (ESDs) installed or to be installed on our vessels, will cater for a smooth transition to greener energy, whilst providing a competitive and compliance advantage for early movers. Beyond 2030, we expect the marine industry to be technologically mature to adopt alternative energy solutions, said Stelios Psillakis, Technical Director at Seanergy.
The Capesize vessel (177 000 dwt) was transporting a cargo of the global mining company, Anglo American, and was bunkered with the biofuel blend in Singapore by TotalEnergies Marine Fuels, a dedicated business unit in charge of worldwide bunkering activities at the Port of Singapore.
The biofuel blend was consumed during her two-way voyage between Singapore and Saldanha Bay, South Africa. The trials demonstrated that biofuel can result in up to 10 percent carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reduction when compared with conventional marine fuel and that it can be safely used in relevant marine applications, without any modifications.
Sustainability, energy efficiency, and reduction of GHG emissions are on the very top of our strategic agenda. Our cooperation with our charterers affirms the obvious notion that the environmental targets can be met with the alignment of interests among shipping companies, charterers, regional governments, and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Until new technologies become widely available in the next years, we should focus on implementing proven solutions on the existing global fleet with the support of all stakeholders of our industry. Seanergy is taking decisive steps towards this direction, said Stamatis Tsantanis, Chairman, and CEO at Seanergy.
