K Line and Gram Car Carriers target emissions reduction through biofuel use

In line with efforts to reduce emissions and support the energy transition, Japanese shipping company K Line has decided to use biofuel on three vessels chartered from Norwegian transportation company Gram Car Carriers (GCC).

Starting in July, biofuel will be supplied to three sister vessels Viking Ocean, Viking Diamond, and Viking Coal while bunkering in Singapore.

Georg A. Whist, CEO of GCC, commented: “We support the green mobility shift. This means that GCC commit to supporting the transition of both vehicles and their logistic chain towards a zero-emission future in close cooperation with leading customers such as K-Line.”

The use of biofuel is said to be a key environmental initiative to reduce emissions across the entire value chain (well-to-exhaust) and an effective way of transitioning to low-carbon marine fuels amid globally tightening environmental regulations.

Biofuels are part of K Line’s action plan to work on the introduction of new fuels that have a low environmental impact and take on the challenge of achieving the targets set in the company’s Environmental Vision 2050 -Blue Seas for the Future.

Since 2021, the Japanese company completed several biofuel trials onboard its ships, including the use of B24 marine biofuel comprising 24% fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) blended with very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO). The fuel was supplied by integrated energy company bp to the Capesize bulker Cape Tsubaki with the cooperation of the charterer, JFE Steel Corporation.

Back in August 2023, K Line’s oceangoing bulk carrier M/V Cape Amal received 700 tons of UCOME-based B24 marine biofuel arranged by maritime fuel supplier Peninsula.

Most recently, the shipping company completed its first trial use of marine B100 biofuel on the car carrier Apollon Highway at the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.