K Line-operated vessel supplied with B24 marine biofuel for 1st time in Japan
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. (K Line) announced Dec. 19 that on Dec. 9, marine biofuel was supplied to Viking Ocean, a car carrier it operates, at Yokohama Daikoku C-4 Terminal, a finished-vehicle terminal operated by the K Line Group.
This is the first time that K Line has supplied biofuel to its operated vessels in Japan.
The owner of the vessel is Norway-based Gram Car Carriers, a long-term partner of K Line.
The fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) component of the marine biofuel, also known as biodiesel, will be able to reduce CO2 emissions by about 84 percent in the well-to-wake process without changing current engine specifications.
This marine biofuel contains 24 percent FAME blended with very-low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) and is expected to reduce the emissions from the voyage of the Viking Ocean by approximately 190 tons of CO2.
K Line said the marine biofuel is made from renewable organic resources such as biomass, which do not utilize food or feed crops.
In K Line’s 2050 environmental vision, it has set the 2030 interim target of improving CO2 emissions efficiency by 50 percent compared to 2008—surpassing the International Maritime Organization’s target of a 40 percent improvement.
Furthermore, K Line’s new target for 2050 is net-zero greenhouse-gas emissions.
In the action plan for this vision, K Line said it will continue working to introduce alternative fuels to enable a reduction in its environmental impact as it works to achieve the targets above.
