Furetank’s dual-fuel tanker trials waste-based renewable fuel for Equinor

Swedish shipping company Furetank has revealed that its dual-fuel tanker Fure Valö has performed the first voyage on a new Equinor fuel blend containing used cooking oil.

As explained, Fure Valö has made a roundtrip from Mongstad in Norway to Reykjavik, Iceland on Equinor’s blend of 30% renewable fuel and 70% marine gasoil from the Mongstad refinery. 

The initial results were positive, as no adverse effects on performance or consumption were detected compared to conventional marine gasoil, the company noted.

Equinor has chosen to perform the test in close cooperation with Furetank, considered to be a test partner with a proactive approach. The initial results demonstrate that renewable liquid fuels, blended in combination with refined products, can contribute to considerable emission reductions within commercial shipping.

The tests showed that the blend brings a certified reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 87.5% versus its fossil fuel equivalent, according to Furetank.

“Acting as test pilots for this new lower-emission fuel is an important and honorable mission for us,” said Furetank CEO Lars Höglund.

“Even if we primarily run our dual-fuel vessels on LNG/LBG or gasoil today, they are designed to be flexible, future-proof and easily converted to run on any fuel that will prove to be the right choice for the future.”

All vessels in the Furetank Vinga series have dual-fuel capacity. They are equipped with strongly insulated stainless steel fuel tanks on deck, designed to contain pressurized, liquefied gas. These tanks could also store for example ammonia or hydrogen, often mentioned as the sustainable fuels of the future. Most likely, switching fuels only demands a slight conversion of the ship engines, according to the Swedish shipowner.

Recently, the company signed up for TGE Marine LNG supply systems for the Vinga series of energy-efficient climate-friendly tankers. The vessels will be capable of operating on both LNG and bioLNG (LBG). They are also designed with several features which reduce fuel and energy consumption, resulting in reduced CO2, SOx, NOx and other harmful particle emissions.

Furetank plans to expand its Vinga-series of tankers. Following the latest order placed in September this year, Furetank’s Vinga series now includes 15 vessels altogether.