NYK and Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha have commenced a test navigation using Neste Renewable Diesel.
The fule was supplied by Itochu Enex to tugboats operated by Shin-Nippon Kaiyosha. This is the first case in Japan of a 100% concentration of biodiesel being used in a ship.
Biofuels are made from renewable biological organic resources. According to NYK, burning biofuels results in virtually zero carbon dioxide emissions.
With increasing demand for reductions in greenhouse gases emitted from ships by oceangoing shipping around the world, biofuels have attracted attention as a currently available alternative to heavy fuel oil.
The biofuel being used in this trial is Neste RD, which is being imported to Japan through a contract that Itochu Corporation has signed with the Neste OYJ Group, one of the world’s largest renewable fuel manufacturers.
Neste RD is a 100% renewable fuel product that is manufactured from waste cooking oil and animal oil that would not be used by the food industry.
According to NYK, the fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a life-cycle assessment basis by about 90% compared with petroleum-derived diesel fuel.
The biofuel can be used as a so-called drop-in fuel, similar to gasoline or diesel oil, without modifying the existing infrastructure.
