Chevron charters its first hybrid electric bunker tanker

U.S. energy major Chevron is chartering its first hybrid electric bunker tanker, a vessel that fuels other ships, from V-Bunkers, the Singaporean bunker arm of energy and commodities company Vitol.

According to Chevron, the tanker, owned and operated by V-bunkers, arrived at Singapore facilities last summer and will provide maritime customers in the region with Chevron fuel.

The bunker tanker is expected to consume approximately 20% less fuel compared to a conventional tanker as it goes about its operations, which can reduce emissions and costs, Chevron noted.

“It’s also helping us take a step forward in our objective to deliver lower carbon and higher returns,” Nayab Karimi, Chevron’s Asia Pacific Trading Manager, said.

Jennifer Chao, Chevron’s Asia Pacific Commercial Marine Manager, claimed that the barge also provides an opportunity to assess the wider adoption of hybrid vessels, adding:

“We’re looking for opportunities like this to understand new technologies, test capabilities and collect data to determine if there is broader applicability for our global operations.”

Chevron explained that similar to a hybrid electric car, the vessel has an electric power system and an engine that runs on fuel, and it will supplement with electricity during periods of high consumption to allow the engines to reduce fuel use.

Instead of three auxiliary engines, as a conventional fueling barge this size would have, the barge has two auxiliary engines and an electric power distribution system, Chevron added.

Varun Kohli, Chevron’s Term Charterer in Asia Pacific, stated: “Current technology doesn’t allow barges to run completely on electricity, and among other challenges, the batteries would take up too much space. As technology comes along and batteries become smaller and more efficient, hopefully in the not-too-distant future, we’ll have bunker tankers able to operate fully on batteries.”

To note, according to Chevron, the vessel has the potential to use onshore charging facilities included in Singapore’s electrification plans.

Regarding Chevron’s other most recent activities in Singapore, it is worth mentioning that the company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Keppel, Pan-United Corporation, Surbana Jurong, Air Liquide Singapore, Osaka Gas Singapore and Pavilion Energy to collaborate on lower carbon opportunities to support Singapore’s aspiration of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

The parties are expected to accelerate the development of cost-effective carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (CCUS) as well as the production, transportation, distribution and utilization of lower carbon hydrogen and its derivatives at scale.