COSCO boxship duo receives B24 biofuel in parallel refueling efforts

March 13, 2025, by Sara Kosmajac

Two container vessels belonging to China’s state-owned giant COSCO Shipping Lines recently powered up with B24 marine biofuel oil at two separate ports, marking what was described as another step forward in embracing clean fuels in the wake of accelerating global environmental efforts.

The two ships that were bunkered with biofuel were the 349-meter-long COSCO Asia and the 337-meter-long Xin Los Angeles.

As disclosed, the former boxship took on 2,400 tons of B24 biofuel at the Fujian Port’s Xiamen Ocean Gate container terminal, whereas the latter unit was refueled with 5,400 tons at the terminal in the Port of Hong Kong.

According to the Chinese shipping heavyweight, the refueling operation represents a “new milestone” for both of the ports, particularly as the maritime industry is growingly shifting toward the utilization of clean fuels.

As explained, COSCO Shipping Lines has kept pace with the industry’s green and low-carbon practices, having been increasingly looking into the technology behind dual-fuel vessels powered by new energy sources. The company has also supported the use of biofuel oil in refueling and sea trials, believing it to be the key that could open the door to more sustainable practices in maritime transportation.

Representatives from COSCO have highlighted that, in addition to this recent development, COSCO Asia was bunkered with 3,850 tons of B24 biofuel in June 2024 at the Shekou Port in Shenzhen, marking what was claimed to be the “largest single marine biofuel bunkering in China” at the time of the operation.

Two months later, Hong Kong-based container shipping company Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), a subsidiary of COSCO Shipping Holdings, joined forces with industry players to initiate a low-carbon shipping effort centered on the substitution of fossil fuels with the cleaner B24 blend, seeking to find ways to diminish carbon emissions across the supply chain.

Specifically, in mid-August 2024, OOCL and marine fuel provider Chimbusco Pan Nation Petro-Chemical (CPN) wrapped up the former’s first biofuel bunkering operation in Hong Kong. Following this, in September last year, COSCO’s 280-meter-long boxship Xin Chi Wan refueled with a B24 blend, check marking the completion of Fujian’s inaugural bonded bunkering order for international vessels.

Fast forward to a more recent time, precisely in February 2025, Xin Los Angeles itself played a part in the ‘biggest’ biofuel delivery in Hong Kong when it received 5,500 MT of B24 from CPN. It is understood that this was also the largest delivery of this alternative fuel among all ports in China.

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Tight currents: The role of biofuels in the decarbonization balancing act

B24 marine biofuel oil is crafted from a blend of 24% sustainable biodiesel and 76% conventional low-sulfur fuel oil (LSFO). This fuel mix is believed to significantly slash carbon emissions from ships, with estimates suggesting a reduction of around 20%—a ‘vital’ step in steering the shipping industry toward greener, low-carbon operations.

However, a more widespread adoption of biofuels, including B24, in general as well as its long-term use, according to the UK’s classification society Lloyd’s Register and Norway’s own DNV, are hindered by feedstock availability, competition demand and affordable supply.

Namely, in September last year, in its “Fuel for Thought” report, LR explored biofuels as a compliance path for ships for which retrofits to adopt other future fuels are not economically viable, identifying the main challenges within this landscape. Lloyd’s Register found back then that, as a drop-in replacement, biofuels could act as an affordable and available option in the short term only, unless more substantial capital investments were made.

DNV’s analysis supported these findings, adding that limited supply of these alternative energy sources was another stumbling block to consider.

In its “Biofuels in Shipping” white paper published in January 2025, the Norway-based classification society underscored that, with the current state of affairs, biofuels like FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) and HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil), in particular, have tremendous potential in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but that their limited availability as well as competition from other sectors constrained their long-term future use.

Against the backdrop of these discoveries, a different development unfolded in Singapore recently, giving the clean energy source momentum another push forward.

In early March this year, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) revealed that – from this point on – conventional bunker ships registered in the country will be permitted to carry and deliver biofuel blends up to B30 without separate approval.