Viva Energy trials B20 marine biofuel on cruise ship in Australia

Photo: Viva Energy

Viva Energy announced April 30 that it kicked off an innovative trial of marine biofuel when Royal Caribbean Group’s Celebrity Edge sailed from Sydney April 5.

The initiative marks what Viva Energy said is the first commercial cruise ship in Australia to partake in this trial.

The trial aims to evaluate the performance and carbon-reduction benefits of marine biofuel, designated as B20, which consists of 80 percent marine distillate and 20 percent locally sourced B100 biodiesel, primarily derived from Australian used cooking oil.

It also provides a unique opportunity to assess the low-carbon fuel’s performance, supported by Viva Energy’s extended marine supply chain in Port Jackson.

This supply chain, underpinned by barge assets operated in collaboration with Polaris Marine, demonstrated the operational feasibility of delivering sustainable fuels to the maritime industry.

“We are very pleased to conduct this trial with Royal Caribbean Group from our Sydney Harbor operations, a first-of-its-kind operation to deliver marine biofuel to a cruise ship in Australia,” said Richard Xin, Viva Energy’s general manager of specialties, marine and defense.

“Viva Energy is committed to supporting our customers in reducing their carbon footprint by introducing new fuels and innovative supply chains,” Xin added. “While the supply of biofuel is not new internationally, this trial is a crucial step towards establishing lower-carbon marine fuels in Australia.”

The B100 component of the biofuel was certified by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification System GmbH (ISCC Plus), which guarantees the provenance of the product, ensuring customers can trace and verify its carbon-emission credentials.

The B100 was manufactured locally by Just Biodiesel.

Viva Energy is a leading Australian fuel supplier to the marine industry.

“[We are] proud to support the cruise sector with both conventional and sustainable fuels,” the company said.