The trial was completed on the Stena Immortal as she ran in typical commercial operation. During the trial, BFO was tested in tanks, storage and as it was burned in the engines, the fuel was again proven to be a technically compliant alternative to the fossil default for oceangoing tanker vessels.

The success of this trial further underlines sustainable marine biofuel’s position within the marine fuel mix, and helps owners and operators to future-proof against current and impending regulations. As the trial was conducted with 100% biofuel, it also shows that low-carbon shipping doesn’t have to be decades away but viable also on the shorter term if industry leaders work together to push the development.

Because it substantially reduces CO2 and SOX emissions, GoodFuels’ Bio Fuel Oil ensures compliance with the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) 2020 Sulphur Cap, Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction requirements and upcoming regulations to reduce carbon intensity from shipping.

“We like to show the industry that we can start reducing the carbon footprint of shipping here and now while maintaining highest quality technical and commercial operations. The Stena Immortal performed very well running on the biofuel while continuing to deliver according to our customers’ needs without any disruption”, says Erik Hånell, President and CEO Stena Bulk.

The industry needs pioneers willing to collaborate, share knowledge and push the development towards more sustainable shipping. We’re happy to collaborate with GoodFuels in this test to take on that mission and encourage others to join us. We are of course open and have a willingness to drive and take part of this development together with stakeholders in this industry.” Erik Hånell continues.

“We are delighted this test with Stena Bulk was a success and want to thank them for joining us in our mission to develop a carbon-busting solution that is scalable, truly sustainable, technically compliant and, crucially, affordable”, Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO, GoodFuels Marine, commenting on the successful trial.

“For the past five years, we have focused on realising the widescale use of sustainable marine biofuel, which has enabled us to continue to develop biofuels as a true solution to the market’s problems. Today’s announcement marks yet another a crucial move towards offering the shipping industry a credible near-zero carbon alternative to HFO and VLSFO.”

Following the successful trial on Stena Immortal, Stena Bulk and GoodFuels Marine will continue working together to gain more experience and scale the usage of Bio Fuel Oil as an alternative to conventional fossil-based fuel.

GoodFuels Bio Fuel Oil is sustainably sourced and completely derived from forest residues and waste oil products. The fuel is also verified by an independent sustainability board of leading academics and NGOs in the transport sectors.

With the commissioning of coastal research vessel Sagar Anveshika earlier this year, the Indian Register of Shipping (IRClass) celebrated yet another collaborative success with the Indian shipbuilding ecosystem.

Built under IRClass, Sagar Anveshika is a DP1-capable vessel fitted with state-of-the-art equipment that allows her owner, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT/ Ministry of Earth Sciences,Govt of India) to carry out environmental indexing and bathymetric surveys in both coastal and offshore waters.

Sagar Anveshika is the second of two coastal research vessels built for NIOT, by M/s. Titagarh Wagons Ltd, with the first being Sagar Tara which was delivered in August 2019. The two vessels are set to augment NIOT’s  research capabilities.

Apart from classification, IRClass provided assistance to the owners in seamless integration of research equipment including the laboratories and deck machinery, to ensure that both the vessels satisfy the Scientific Mission Requirements, while complying with applicable rules, conventions, regulations and the flag state.

“We thank IRClass for its contribution which led to successful completion of the project without delays and cost overruns” said Dr M A Atmanand, Director NIOT.  “We look forward to future collaborations with IRClass on mutually-beneficial projects of significance not only to our respective organisations but to the maritime ecosystem at large”, said Dr D Rajasekhar, Project Director Vessel management cell, NIOT.

Mr Vijay Arora, Joint Managing Director, IRClass, said: “The successful commissioning of Sagar Anveshika bears eloquent testimony to the hard work of the owners, ship builders, ship designers, and all those who were involved with the project. IRClass is proud to be part of the Indian maritime ecosystem that continues to deliver high quality ships that meet the requirements of discerning owners worldwide.”

Sharing the Green Deal vision of sustainable transport and a carbon neutral Europe by 2050, two leading companies in the commercial vehicle industry, Daimler Truck AG and the Volvo Group, have signed a preliminary non-binding agreement to establish a new joint venture. The intention is to develop, produce and commercialize fuel cell systems for heavy-duty vehicle applications and other use cases. Daimler will consolidate all its current fuel cell activities in the joint venture. The Volvo Group will acquire 50% in the joint venture for the sum of approximately EUR 0.6 billion on a cash and debt free basis.

“Transport and logistics keep the world moving, and the need for transport will continue to grow. Truly CO2-neutral transport can be accomplished through electric drive trains with energy coming either from batteries or by converting hydrogen on board into electricity. For trucks to cope with heavy loads and long distances, fuel cells are one important answer and a technology where Daimler has built up significant expertise through its Mercedes-Benz fuel cell unit over the last two decades. This joint initiative with the Volvo Group is a milestone in bringing fuel cell powered trucks and buses onto our roads,” says Martin Daum, Chairman of the Board of Management Daimler Truck AG and Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG.

“Electrification of road transport is a key element in delivering the so called Green Deal, a carbon neutral Europe and ultimately a carbon neutral world. Using hydrogen as a carrier of green electricity to power electric trucks in long-haul operations is one important part of the puzzle, and a complement to battery electric vehicles and renewable fuels. Combining the Volvo Group and Daimler’s experience in this area to accelerate the rate of development is good both for our customers and for society as a whole. By forming this joint venture, we are clearly showing that we believe in hydrogen fuel cells for commercial vehicles. But for this vision to become reality, other companies and institutions also need to support and contribute to this development, not least in order to establish the fuel infrastructure needed,” says Martin Lundstedt, Volvo Group President and CEO.

The Volvo Group and Daimler Truck AG will be 50/50 partners in the joint venture, which will operate as an independent and autonomous entity, with Daimler Truck AG and the Volvo Group continuing to be competitors in all other areas of business. Joining forces will decrease development costs for both companies and accelerate the market introduction of fuel cell systems in products used for heavy-duty transport and demanding long-haul applications. In the context of the current economic downturn cooperation has become even more necessary in order to meet the Green Deal objectives within a feasible time-frame.

The common goal is for both companies to offer heavy-duty vehicles with fuel cells for demanding long-haul applications in series production in the second half of the decade. In addition, other automotive and non-automotive use cases are also part of the new joint venture’s scope.

To enable the joint venture, Daimler Trucks is bringing together all group-wide fuel cell activities in a new Daimler Truck fuel cell unit. Part of this bundling of activities is the allocation of the operations of “Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell GmbH”, which has longstanding experience in the development of fuel cell and hydrogen storage systems for various vehicle applications, to Daimler Truck AG.

The joint venture will include the operations in Nabern/Germany (currently headquarters of the Mercedes-Benz Fuel Cell GmbH) with production facilities in Germany and Canada.

The signed preliminary agreement is non-binding. A final agreement is expected by Q3 and closing before year-end 2020. All potential transactions are subject to examination and approval by the responsible competition authorities.

Facts: Fuel cells and hydrogen as fuel

• A hydrogen fuel cell converts the chemical energy of the fuel, in this case hydrogen, and oxygen (in the air) into electricity. The electricity powers the electrical motors that propel an electrical vehicle.
• There are two main ways to produce the hydrogen needed. So-called green hydrogen can be produced locally at the gas station, using electricity to convert water into hydrogen. Blue hydrogen is expected to be produced from natural gas, utilizing carbon capture technology to create a carbon neutral fuel.