Japan’s shipping giant MOL is using biofuel to power one of its LNG carriers serving the ExxonMobil-led PNG LNG project in Papua New Guinea as part of a move to slash emissions.
The 171,800-cbm LNG carrier, Papua, owned by MOL’s unit Aquarius LNG Shipping, has completed sea trials using biofuel.
Prior to that, ExxonMobil Marine supplied about 1,500 tons of biofuel to the LNG carrier in the Port of Singapore, according to a statement by MOL issued on Tuesday.
The marine biofuel used is a 0.50 percent sulphur residual-based fuel (VLSFO) processed with up to 25 percent waste-based fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), MOL said.
Also, the bio-component had been accredited by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) organization, it said.
China’s Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding delivered this LNG carrier with a slow-speed diesel engine to MOL back in January 2015.
The vessel ships LNG from the 6.9 mtpa LNG export plant in Caution Bay, PNG.
Since its delivery, MOL has been operating Papua under a long-term charter contract for the project operated by ExxonMobil.