Hapag-Lloyd Trials B20 Fuel

Hapag-Lloyd is operating one of its ships with B20, a biofuel blend that consists of 80 percent low sulfur fuel and 20 percent biodiesel.

The Montreal Express recently refuelled in Rotterdam with the new blend. The biodiesel is made from cooking oils and fats that had previously been used in the catering industry. The biodiesel generates up to 90 percent less CO2 emissions than conventional fuels.

“By the end of this year, we want to have reduced our specific CO2 emissions by 50 percent compared to the reference year 2008,” says Jörg Erdmann, Senior Director Sustainability Management. “Biofuels like B20 can help us reach this target.”

Hapag-Lloyd intends to use the test run with the Montreal Express, which operates in the St. Lawrence Coordinated Service 2 (AT 2) between Europe and Canada, to gain experience with the fuel in real-world use. If successful, more ships will operate on the fuel.

CMA CGM has also trialled a fuel with a 20 percent biofuel component derived from cooking oil. Last year, the CMA CGM Group announced a partnership with Shell to supply tens of thousands of tons of marine biofuel to its fleet.