MOL announced that the bunkering vessel Techno Star, owned and operated by its group company MOL Tech, has been successfully operated using biodiesel fuel (BDF).
Class NK certified that NOx emissions from the vessel during BDF combustion are within emissions limits set by international regulations including the MARPOL Treaty.
BDF used for the vessel as fuel is fatty acid methyl ester generated through transesterification of collected waste cooking oil with methanol.
BDF is a biomass energy resource, which exhausts CO2 during combustion, but the plants that provide its raw material absorb CO2 and reproduce biomass, so CO2 emissions during combustion can be reduced.
BDF supplied for the vessel is used by increasing mixing ratio with Class A heavy fuel to more than 30% first time in Japan, which is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by 25-30%.
The MOL Group set a target of achieving net zero GHG emissions by 2050 in “MOL Group Environmental Vision 2.1” announced in June 2021.
It calls for an initiative on “Adoption of Clean Alternative Fuels” to achieve this target, positioning biomass as an effective alternative to fossil fuels.
