Vitol Bunkers, Olam Agri complete world’s 1st coprocessed VLSFO biobunkering operation
- Vitol Bunkers
- 26 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Vitol Bunkers announced Aug. 20 that it and Olam Agri have successfully completed Singapore’s first biobunkering operation using very-low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) coprocessed with cashew-nut shell liquid (CNSL), showcasing a waste-to-energy approach.
The operation marks a significant step forward in the search for practical, scalable alternatives to conventional marine fuels, and demonstrates that meaningful greenhouse-gas (GHG) reductions can be achieved without any change to vessel operations.
“The successful deployment of this product, achieving verified greenhouse-gas mitigation alongside ensuring operational integrity, serves as a definitive proof of concept,” said Martin Fynbo, the head of bunkers at Olam Agri’s ocean-freight business. “This milestone provides validation to a traditionally risk-averse sector, demonstrating that a previously disregarded bioproduct solution can both be operationally viable and sustainable. We thank the owner of the vessel Atlantic Lloyd, the vessel’s technical managers and Vitol for their cooperation and support in executing this trial. We look forward to deepening our collaboration.”
Sherman Yeo, Vitol Bunkers’ trading manager, added, “This operation proves that coprocessed VLSFO can be delivered and consumed at sea without any compromise to vessel performance or operational routine. The mass-balance solution we have developed opens up a genuinely new avenue for GHG reduction in marine fuels.”
MV Scion Mathilda was supplied with 246.5 metric tons of coprocessed VLSFO at the port of Singapore, comprising 212 tons of conventional VLSFO and 34.5 tons of coprocessed CNSL VLSFO.
The product was supplied by Vitol Bunkers and procured by Olam Agri’s ocean-freight business.
The fuel was subsequently consumed across a voyage.
Loaded cargo from Caofeidian, China, was shipped to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, followed by a ballast leg from Rotterdam to Barcarena, Brazil.
Total fuel consumption across the voyage comprised 1,354 tons of VLSFO, 101 tons of marine gasoil and 34.1 tons of coprocessed VLSFO.
The vessel completed the voyage without any operational remarks, confirming the product’s performance in real-world conditions.
The coprocessed VLSFO carries a GHG intensity of 2.02 grams of CO2e per megajoule, delivering savings of at least 120 tons of CO2e compared with conventional VLSFO on an equivalent basis.
This outcome was achieved with no additional onboard handling or fuel-treatment requirements.
Vitol’s coprocessing and mass-balancing methodology resolves a longstanding challenge in the use of CNSL as a marine biofuel.
Direct blending of CNSL has historically been dismissed by the industry due to material compatibility and handling issues.
By coprocessing CNSL within the refinery stream, Vitol has opened a commercially viable pathway for CNSL to contribute to GHG reduction in shipping.
The co-processed VLSFO used in this operation conforms to RMG380 VLSFO grade and has the same chemical composition and quality as conventional fuel, eliminating the need for additional permissions or special clauses in charter-party agreements.
As GHG-reduction requirements on the shipping sector intensify toward 2030, competition for sustainable biofeedstocks with road transport and aviation will increase significantly.
CNSL, derived as a byproduct of cashew processing, represents an underutilized feedstock with genuine potential as a scalable marine biofuel component.
According to Vitol Bunkers, this trial demonstrates that with the right processing approach, it can be integrated into existing supply chains without disruption.
