K Line-operated vessel supplied with B24 marine biofuel for 1st time in Japan

Photo: K Line

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (K Line) announced Dec. 19 that on Dec. 9, marine biofuel was supplied to Viking Ocean, a car carrier it operates, at Yokohama Daikoku C-4 Terminal, a finished-vehicle terminal operated by the K Line Group.

This is the first time that K Line has supplied biofuel to its operated vessels in Japan.

The owner of the vessel is Norway-based Gram Car Carriers, a long-term partner of K Line.

The fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) component of the marine biofuel, also known as biodiesel, will be able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 84 percent in the well-to-wake process without changing current engine specifications.

This marine biofuel contains 24 percent FAME blended with very-low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) and is expected to reduce the emissions from the voyage of the Viking Ocean by approximately 190 tons of CO2.

K Line said the marine biofuel is made from renewable organic resources such as biomass, which do not utilize food or feed crops.

In K Line’s 2050 environmental vision, it has set the 2030 interim target of improving CO2 emissions efficiency by 50 percent compared to 2008—surpassing the International Maritime Organization’s target of a 40 percent improvement.

Furthermore, K Line’s new target for 2050 is net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions.

In the action plan for this vision, K Line said it will continue working to introduce alternative fuels to enable a reduction in its environmental impact as it works to achieve the targets above.