ExxonMobil supplies Hapag-Lloyd’s Colorado Express with B25 biofuel blend in Antwerp

American multinational oil and gas corporation ExxonMobil has supplied Hapag-Lloyd’s containership Colorado Express with a B25 bio marine fuel blend in Antwerp.

As disclosed, ExxonMobil’s biofuel blend underwent a range of tests before delivery in Antwerp. The receiving vessel, which features a Wärtsilä 10RT-flex96C main engine, bunkered 1,320 metric tonnes of the blend. 

Specifically, the ‘drop in’ blend consists of ExxonMobil’s HDME50 fuel, a 0.10% sulfur Emission Control Area (ECA) fuel, and 25% waste-based fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) derived from used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME). According to ExxonMobil, the fuel can achieve an estimated 20.1% well-to-wake greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction compared with conventional marine fuel formulations on an energy basis.

The 7,000 TEU Colorado Express used “the bio marine fuel blend without incident”, while both NOx and particulate emissions were within accepted limits, the company added.

“Hapag-Lloyd aims at having net-zero carbon fleet operations by 2045. As part of that commitment, we are continuously looking for opportunities to onboard new bio blends in our fuels mix. We appreciate ExxonMobil’s efforts to supply us bio blend with ULSFO, which is another step forward in our decarbonisation journey,” said Ilyas Muhammad, Head of Green Fuels at Hapag-Lloyd.

“We successfully bunkered bio-ULSFO blend at our Colorado Express and so far our operational experience with this product is positive. We look forward to increasing bio-ULSFO consumption in the future,” noted Nikolai Doerner, Senior Manager Biofuels at Hapag-Lloyd.

“ExxonMobil is looking for ways to support our customers [to] reduce their GHG emissions. We are proud to have helped Hapag-Lloyd on their journey to a lower GHG emissions future,” stated Pelin Gillis, Marine Fuels Sales Manager, BNL, ExxonMobil.

To remind, Hapag-Lloyd recently christened the 23,660 TEU dual-fuel Hamburg Express, the flagship of the company’s Hamburg Express class. Earlier on, the German shipowner welcomed several eco-friendly boxships, including Berlin Express, Manila Express, Singapore Express, Iquique Express, Damietta Express, and Gdansk Express.

In August this year, marine fuel provider Peninsula supplied B30 very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) to Hapag-Lloyd’s Yantian Express containership. The sustainable biofuel used for this blend was ISCC EU-certified biodiesel derived from used cooking oil.