[RahulNagaraj]

Neste, a Finnish company, has launched the "Marine 0.1 Co-Processed" - a marine fuel said to be a substitute for the conventional fuel used in the shipping industry. According to the company, the new alternate fuel reduces GHG (GreenHouse Gas) by 80% throughout its lifecycle compared to the standard fuel used.



The Neste Marine 0.1 Co-Processed was initially introduced last year and since then has already been certified with ISCC PLUS (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification) and is ISO 8217 compliant. It is said to be a drop-in fuel, which means it can easily replace conventional fuels without the vessel having to undergo any sort of modification.

The marine fuel is said to be made by mixing fossil raw materials with renewable raw materials during the refining process (hence the name Co-Processed). Reports state that the new alternate fuel provides composition & performance that's similar to that of standard fuels but with significantly lower emissions across its lifecycle.

Neste is now said to be expanding to the Swedish market with the help of ScanOcean. The Swedish company will deliver the new marine fuel to the ports on the country's east coast. It could soon be offered to containers, tankers, cargo ships and even passenger ships, confirming its huge potential.

The Finnish company plans to reach 2.2 million tonne capacity by 2026 and make its Porvoo oil refinery the most sustainable in Europe by the end of the decade.

Source: AutoEvolution

Link to Team-BHP news

[behaln]

We are also shifting to Biofuels to push for the Net Carbon Zero Goal. Marine biofuels, also known as sustainable marine fuels, are a type of renewable fuel derived from biomass sources such as algae, waste oils, or other organic materials. They present a promising alternative to traditional fossil fuels for use on ships, offering several benefits:

1. Environmental friendliness: Marine biofuels result in significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional marine fuels. They are considered carbon-neutral or have a lower carbon footprint due to the absorption of CO2 by the biomass feedstock during growth.

2. Compliance with regulations: Many countries and international organizations are implementing stricter emission regulations for the maritime industry. By using marine biofuels, ships can meet these regulations and contribute to cleaner air quality and reduced pollution at sea.

3. Energy security: Marine biofuels can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels, which are finite resources prone to price volatility and supply disruptions. With sustainable marine fuels, the shipping industry can diversify its energy sources and contribute to enhanced energy security.

4. Technological compatibility: Marine biofuels can be used in existing ship engines without requiring significant modifications or vessel retrofits. This compatibility allows for a seamless transition to sustainable fuels while leveraging current infrastructure and minimizing costs.

5. Economic opportunities: The production and use of marine biofuels create economic opportunities in regions with abundant biomass resources. This includes activities such as cultivating and processing algae, developing new technologies, and establishing supply chains. Additionally, the growing demand for sustainable marine fuels can drive job creation and stimulate green economic growth.

6. Research and innovation: The adoption of marine biofuels encourages further research and development in the field of renewable energy. This can lead to advancements in biofuel production, diversification of biomass sources, and improvements in efficiency and performance.

It is important to note that while marine biofuels offer numerous advantages, their widespread adoption and implementation still face challenges such as scalability, cost competitiveness, and the need for supportive policy frameworks. However, as technology progresses and more investments are made in the sector, sustainable marine fuels are expected to play a crucial role in reducing the shipping industry's environmental impact and promoting a more sustainable future.

[Jeroen]

What is the prices offerende between these new marine oils and traditional heavy fuels?

The only reason ships use these very polluting heavy fuel oil is because it is cheap. It is cheap because there is very little refining to do. Every refining process and step tends to increase the cost.

Jeroen

[umahesh612]

Hello all, just posting this from a ship which burns ethane taken from cargo tanks as fuel. Some images of Main engine and alarm monitoring system mimics attached. cheers


The alarm monitoring system panle, note that "Main Engine Gas Mode" Status is showing as "Running"


Main Engine's Main Operating Panel (MOP). You can see "Dual Fuel" Tab showing "Running"


A brief line of how the fuel gets to main engine

With my limited knowledge of the field, I can see future fuel scenarios as follows going forward:
a) Use of LNG, LPG as an alternative in the near term, mainly to meet IMO Standards of roughly 40% reductions in emissions, compared to base year of 2008. Many owners, mainly Bergesen Worldwide (BW), have retrofitted a couple of their older LPG Carriers, which were running on conventional fuel, to be able to run on LPG now. I am sure that this option would be looked into by many other owners, starting from 2025.
b) Methanol and Ammonia are coming up in the mid-term, with many order books going for that option in recent days.
c) A final transition to Hydrogen as a fuel, when safe storage and transportation issues are sorted.

All the remaining options are ultra short term, including bio-fuels and others, mainly targeted at vessels which are coming to end of their life in the timelines of 2030-2035.

[Red_Phantom]

Very good news if this becomes a reality. Current Heavy Fuel Oil (also called Bunker Oil) is a thick, tar-like substance which is a significant contributor to global sulphur emissions. There is a great video from the Youtube channel "Mustard" which shows that we could have had nuclear-powered tankers and freighters decades ago. Although that seems unlikely because of nuclear paranoia and some other factors, hopefully biofuels and processed fuels like these replace the traditional marine oils.

https://youtu.be/cYj4F_cyiJI?si=G2WCDEaWYqrndpl_

[anjan_c2007]

It's high time and I only hope Gadkariji soon makes a bold statement about this new fuel before its too late. It can be ushered in as the next generation, flexi fuel engines for ships.

In fact he was Minister for Shipping, an additional portfolio until 2019.

[Old_Salt]

Interesting, it would be good to know the average price and what grade they are offering. I tried a bit of google search but nothing much is available on pricing.

The average bunker fuel price, for heavy oil is around 550 ~600 USD/tonne.

[adrift@life]

Though the future seems to be leaning towards gas and dual-fuel engines, the current engine crop still runs on heavy oil. The IMO has implemented many active and passive ways to limit NOx and sox on current vessels. the newer dual-fuel engines are less than 5 years old. The existing engines will positively serve another 15 years at the least. Though existing engines can run MGO with less than 1 % sulfur, owners use them only in ports because it's prohibitively expensive. I have bunkered pristine MGO in Canada @ 0.01% sulfur which was available in 2017.So this oil by Neste will be expensive to operate too.
Their target customer is not those huge vessels in the picture. Rather, I am just guessing here, it's for the coastal vessels operating in Europe and Northern America.

[adrift@life]

Originally Posted by umahesh612

Hello all, just posting this from a ship which burns ethane taken from cargo tanks as fuel. Some images of Main engine and alarm monitoring system mimics attached. cheers

hi Mahesh which dual fuel engine is this?

[VRod_24]

Originally Posted by adrift@life

hi Mahesh which dual fuel engine is this?

Looks like a Man B&W ME-C GA engines MOP panel if I am not wrong.

[umahesh612]

@adrift@life and @VRod_24 it is MAN B&W ME-GI engine, adopted for Ethane, so comes like ME-GIE. It is a high pressure gas injection system working @ 380bar through gas fuel injectors. We have 3 of those mounted on cyl head, along with another 3 of normal fuel injectors.

ME-GA is gas admission and works at a much lower pressure, and by admitting Gas just above scavenge ports of the liner.

[VRod_24]

Originally Posted by umahesh612

@adrift@life and @VRod_24 it is MAN B&W ME-GI engine, adopted for Ethane, so comes like ME-GIE. It is a high pressure gas injection system working @ 380bar through gas fuel injectors. We have 3 of those mounted on cyl head, along with another 3 of normal fuel injectors.

ME-GA is gas admission and works at a much lower pressure, and by admitting Gas just above scavenge ports of the liner.

Thanks @umahesh612 for this info. This will help me for my exams as well as I was not aware of this differentiation.
I have worked on ME - B engines but didn't get a chance to work on these modern Gas injection engines.

[umahesh612]

Originally Posted by VRod_24

Thanks @umahesh612 for this info. This will help me for my exams as well as I was not aware of this differentiation.
I have worked on ME - B engines but didn't get a chance to work on these modern Gas injection engines.

Always welcome, I am going for my exams too soon. You atleast have prior ME engine experience. I jumped directly from MC engine to ME-GI. Was roaming like a lost puppy around the engine in the beginning.

[VRod_24]

Originally Posted by umahesh612

Always welcome, I am going for my exams too soon. You atleast have prior ME engine experience. I jumped directly from MC engine to ME-GI. Was roaming like a lost puppy around the engine in the beginning.

In that case Wishing you the best for your exams as well.