Vopak marks ‘inaugural’ biofuel bunkering operation in the UAE as done

Vopak Horizon Fujairah Limited, a UAE-based subsidiary of Dutch energy storage operator Vopak, recently completed its ‘first-ever’ biofuel bunkering operation in the country.

As informed, the development is part of the company’s ambition to supply cleaner, more eco-friendly fuels in the United Arab Emirates and, by extension, support the nation’s goal of reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

According to representatives from Vopak, the effort entailed the supply of ISCC-certified B24 biofuel—a blend of 24% fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) with very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), a combination that results in much fewer sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions coming out from ships. The company has not disclosed which and whose ships were powered up.

Law Say Huat, General Manager of Vopak’s Fujairah-headquartered subsidiary, underscored that this recent development represented a “big step in the decarbonization of the supply chain”, the company’s as well as the region’s.

Located some 70 nautical miles from the Hormuz Strait, which reportedly sees a fifth of the global oil consumption passing through every day, Fujairah is the world’s third-largest bunkering port. It has because of this become a ‘focal’ point for the development of sustainable marine fuels, including biofuels, in the UAE.

The UAE has been keen on aligning with international decarbonization initiatives and regulations, such as the IMO’s (International Maritime Organization) greenhouse gas reduction goals and the EU’s FuelEU Maritime regulation, which requires vessels to slash carbon emissions by 8% by 2030 and at least 80% by 2050.

Among some developments within the biofuel bunkering space at the Fujairah port in the past couple of years are, for instance, the December 2023 efforts made by Swiss energy and commodities company Vitol as well as the UK’s marine energy solutions provider KPI OceanConnect.

Namely, Vitol finalized its ‘first-ever’ biofuel delivery in the UAE on December 8 and 14, 2023, having bunkered two ships with B24 VLSFO. As explained, the fuel came from Vitol’s refinery FRL.

On the other hand, in mid-December of that same year, KPI OceanConnect executed a 200 metric-ton biofuel bunkering operation in Fujairah, seeking to promote this alternative energy source as a viable option for ships docking in the port. The vessels that received the fuel were the GCL Tapi and GCL Sabarmati, two bulk carriers owned by India’s ArcelorMittal Shipping.

In addition to this, the UAE government has endeavored to strengthen its cooperation with local oil and gas companies, too, such as the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), with the aim of supporting the country’s energy transition.

To remind, in late January 2025, ADNOC Gas entered into a long-term strategic partnership with Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC), the procurer and supplier of water and electricity in Abu Dhabi. The two also inked a gas sales and purchase agreement (GSPA) to fortify the energy transformation of the United Arab Emirates. The deal is estimated to be worth a staggering $10 billion.