Glycerin-blended marine biofuel to be tested by MSC Shipmanagement of Cyprus

MSC will test Quadrise Fuels International's bioMSAR™ and MSAR® fuel on one or more commercial container vessels as an essential precursor step to the intended commercial supply of these fuels to MSC’s global fleet.

Quadrise Fuels International plc announced July 27 it has signed a framework agreement with MSC Shipmanagement Ltd. of Cyprus, a 100 percent subsidiary of MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co. SA.

Under the agreement, proof-of-concept (POC) tests and subsequent operational trials will be carried out using both bioMSAR™ and MSAR® fuels on one or more commercial container vessels, as essential precursor steps to the intended commercial supply of these fuels to MSC’s global fleet.

bioMSAR™ is a blend of heavy residual oils and glycerin, a byproduct of biodiesel production, with small amounts of specialist chemicals and water (patent pending) that are mixed using proprietary MSAR® technology. bioMSAR™ is an oil-in-water emulsified synthetic biofuel, with lower emissions than conventional fuels. The amount of glycerin added can be tailored to future CO2-reduction requirements. Adding 40 percent renewable glycerin to make bioMSAR™ results in more than 25 percent fewer CO2 emissions.

The POC tests for each of bioMSAR™ and MSAR® will be conducted on a vessel now owned by MSC that was previously used for prior successful MSAR® demonstrations on a 69MW two-stroke engine and will begin no later than Dec. 31, subject to the ongoing availability of the vessel. Each POC trial is estimated to require 1,000 metric tons of fuel to confirm engine performance on the vessel.

Subject to positive results from the POC trials, the fuels will undergo subsequent operational trials to provide commercial operating experience with a view to obtaining letters of no objection (LONOs) from the engine manufacturer after proving operational viability of bioMSAR™ and MSAR® at both an interim (midway) and final stage (after approximately 4,000 operating hours).

It is estimated that approximately 25,000 metric tons of fuel will be required for each of the trials, with fuel produced by Quadrise and purchased by MSC. In conjunction with the trials, MSC and Quadrise will jointly continue discussions with other marine-engine suppliers to investigate testing bioMSAR™ and MSAR® on their engines.

In parallel, subject to the successful progression of the trial to the interim LONO stage, Quadrise and MSC intend to negotiate a collaborative commercial agreement to supply bioMSAR™ and/or MSAR® to be used by MSC. The parties will also investigate opportunities to test the Quadrise Blend-on-Board solution on a suitable MSC vessel.

“This is an important milestone for the company as we progress our projects and deepen our relationships with leading energy suppliers and users to reduce energy consumption, costs and emissions,” said Jason Miles, CEO of Quadrise. “Quadrise is delighted to have signed this new agreement with MSC Shipmanagement, the biggest in-house ship management company globally responsible for the largest container-ship fleet in the world. We look forward to working with MSC and project stakeholders to demonstrate the commercial viability and environmental benefits of our fuels to the wider seaborne fleet. MSC sets the standard for energy efficiency and biofuel use in the marine sector, and we believe that our bioMSAR™ and MSAR® technology offers an excellent solution to accelerate their decarbonization and emissions-reduction efforts.”

Prabhat Jha, CEO of MSC Shipmanagement Ltd., added, “MSC Shipmanagement is delighted to be working with the Quadrise team under this new agreement, as together we have an important enabling role in the marine-energy transition towards a net-zero carbon future and reducing our own vessel emissions. MSC has one of the youngest fleets among the world’s leading shipping lines, and we seek to continually improve energy efficiency by collaborating with suppliers such as Quadrise to promote the wider adoption of low- and zero-carbon fuels. We each have an important role to play to accelerate the decarbonization of the shipping and logistics industry and we look forward to progressing commercial testing of bioMSAR™ and MSAR® technology on our fleet together with Quadrise.”