Beer Barge Trials Drop-In Biofuel

Heineken Netherlands, Nedcargo and GoodFuels have launched a pilot program to demonstrate a sustainable drop-in marine fuel onboard the For Ever – an inland barge dedicated to transport Heineken export beer.

The fuel supplied by GoodFuels contains 30 percent biofuel which reduces CO2-emissions by more than 25 percent, as well as significantly reducing NOx and particulate matter emissions.   

The barge transports beer from the Heineken brewery in Zoeterwoude to the deep-sea terminals in Rotterdam. Heineken Netherlands Supply is aiming to have a climate neutral corridor along the route by 2020.

The project partners aim to highlight the possibility for reducing emissions in inland waterway transport without any vessel modification. The exact emission reduction compared to fossil fuel will be monitored live during the pilot using Blueco’s Konnexus system for remote monitoring. 

Ocean Shipping

GoodFuels is also initiating a program that enables ocean cargo owners to have a quick, transparent and convenient way to reduce their carbon footprint by driving the purchase of biofuel in an initiative that is designed to accelerate low-carbon fuels in the marine fuel mix.

The GoodShipping Program will allow cargo owners to purchase low-carbon, compatible and sustainable drop-in biofuels. The first Good Trade Lane vessel connecting Europe to the rest of the world will be launched Autumn this year. 

Boskalis Test

Late last year, Boskalis and GoodFuels announced the success of live tests on a sustainable wood-based drop-in biofuel called UPM BioVerno. The fuel supplied by Finnish UPM Biofuels was the first ever biofuel derived from wood residue used in a marine fleet.

Boskalis vessel Edax, a 1,696 dwt cutter suction dredger successfully used the fuel in bio/fossil blends going up to 50 percent as it worked on phase one of the Marker Wadden project in the first half of 2016. This resulted in a CO2 saving of 600Mt over the operating period.

The test was a landmark for the marine biofuels consortium that was announced in October last year by GoodFuels Marine, Boskalis and Wärtsilä. The consortium was launched with the mission to spearhead a two-year pilot program to accelerate the development of truly sustainable, scalable and affordable marine biofuels. The fuels being live tested on board of Boskalis vessels were first extensively ground tested at the Wärtsilä lab in Vaasa, Finland.

Sustainable marine biofuels offer ship operators a way to reduce a vessel’s CO2 emissions by 80-90 percent, says GoodFuels. They eliminate SOx emissions, cut NOx emissions by up to 10 percent and reduce particulate matter by 50 percent. 

Current forecasts predict that marine biofuels could make up five to 10 percent of the marine fuel mix by 2030.