Glomar Offshore has reportedly achieved a 28% reduction in CO2 emissions by transitioning from traditional fuels to GoodFuels HVO30, a marine biofuel blend.
The move to switch to biofuel is based on the longstanding partnership between Glomar Offshore and FincoEnergies. Glomar Offshore had previously reduced 1,006,892 kg of CO2 in 2023 by incorporating FincoEnergies’ ChangeXL additive. Now, the company aims to use GoodFuels HVO30 across its entire fleet in 2024.
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The biofuel was first successfully delivered in January, resulting in the additional 28% reduction in CO2 emissions. Mike Visser, Sales Manager at FincoEnergies, expressed pride in contributing to Glomar’s journey towards a more sustainable future, highlighting their commitment to providing decarbonization solutions tailored to Glomar’s evolving needs in offshore operations.
Pros and Cons
During the 2023 SAFETY4SEA Limassol Forum, Bill Stamatopoulos, Global Business Development Director, VeriFuel, gave a presentation on the use biofuels for the marine shipping sector, including their pros and cons. According to Stamatopoulos, they are the following:
Pros of biofuels:
- Four-year experience with successful trials since 2019
- No CAPEX is required
- Improved CO2 emission factor
- Limited safety risk as it is not toxic (like ammonia) and the flash point is always higher than 100 degrees, so it meets the SOLAS requirement
- Can use the existing bunkering infrastructure
- Mix with fossil fuels a.k.a. “drop in”
Cons of biofuels:
- Availability
- Cost (20-40% over the VLSFO price)
- Energy content is lower, but they have better ignition and combustion properties
- Technical challenges that are easily tackled in terms of long-term storage, microbial growth and corrosion
- Lack of crew training
- Storage and transfer temperatures above the cloud point
- Aviation may also use them so not all of the available biofuel is for shipping.
As we continue our partnership, we’re excited to facilitate Glomar’s next step towards further decarbonisation, including by switching to an even higher HVO blend next year.
… noted Mike Visser
Meanwhile, Melvin Weij, COO at Glomar Offshore, is very enthusiastic about the partnership and the next steps, saying that they are committed to reducing their ecological impact, striving for a greener, more sustainable future.
