Mash Makes powers 1st vessel trial with biofuel from carbon-negative process

Renewable energy company Mash Makes announced April 24 that it and global shipping company DS Norden have successfully completed what Mash Makes said is “the world’s first commercial-vessel trial using biofuel produced from a carbon-negative process.”

The vessel operated on a roundtrip voyage from Singapore to Brazil, successfully using 65 metric tons of fuel blend with 20 percent Mash Makes biofuel in its auxiliary engine.

“This trial proves that Mash Makes’ biofuel is suitable for marine engines, and it marks an important milestone towards bringing the fuel into our operation,” said Henrik Røjel, Norden’s head of decarbonization and climate solutions.

According to Mash Makes, the trial demonstrated that its biofuel is technically a drop-in fuel compatible with existing systems and capable of reducing reliance on fossil fuels in specific marine applications.

The results point to a practical path for shipowners to cut emissions without waiting for new infrastructure.

If the new agreement by the International Maritime Organization to cap and price excess emissions globally is ratified in October, Mash Makes said it offers a solution that enables shipowners to start significantly reducing their emissions well before the agreement takes effect in 2028.

“Our biofuel meets the technical requirements of the shipping industry and can be used in unmodified engines,” said Mash Makes CEO Jakob Bejbro Andersen. “It’s a seamless, scalable alternative ready to cut emissions today.”

Shipping contributes nearly 3 percent of global greenhouse-gas emissions and is responsible for 90 percent of all transported goods and raw materials in the world.

Unlike emerging fuels such as green hydrogen or ammonia, which require new infrastructure, Mash Makes said its biofuel integrates directly with existing systems.

“When shipping companies choose Mash Makes biofuel, they’re not just aiming for net zero—they’re choosing a fuel made through a carbon-negative process,” the company stated.

A recent climate-impact report from independent research firm Boundless Impact assessed the environmental impact of Mash Makes biofuel.

“Our independent analysis shows that Mash Makes’ biofuel production process is carbon negative, which is driven by the permanent carbon sequestration achieved through the coproduced biochar and its use in sustainable agriculture,” said Maria Jamarillo, the senior analyst for Boundless Impact Research & Analytics Inc.

Mash Makes biofuel is produced through pyrolysis, which converts agricultural residues into renewable energy.

It’s comparable with ISO 8217 marine-fuel standards and designed to work as a drop-in fuel for the shipping industry.

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Mash Makes said its advanced biofuel offers compatibility with existing marine engines proven in both onshore engine tests and vessel trials in an auxiliary engine, flexibility for blending, including marine gasoil and very-low sulfur fuel oil, and no need for infrastructure changes or expensive retrofits.

The next phase will test the biofuel in main engines, expanding its application across commercial fleets.

For every ton of biofuel produced, Mash Makes also generates 1.8 tons of biochar, a stable, carbon-rich material applied to soil.

Each ton of biochar locks 3.14 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere into the ground, according to Mash Makes, creating a direct link between fuel production and carbon removal.

This means every ton of Mash biofuel is associated with 5.7 tons of CO2 being sequestered permanently in the soil.

The company is now working with the Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping to demonstrate how the center’s lifecycle methodology applies to its biochar and biofuel pathway.

The collaboration focuses on assessing full-system emissions and exploring how coproducts like biochar—with carbon-removal potential—can be transparently accounted for, and how this contributes toward maritime-decarbonization goals.

Mash Makes’ production plant in Karnataka, India, currently processes 23,700 tons of agricultural waste annually, producing 3,400 tons of bio-oil.

A second plant under construction will triple capacity.

The company’s goal is to remove over one gigaton of CO2 by 2040.