GS Caltex sells its first marine biofuel gasoil bunker in Singapore.
GS Caltex Singapore Pte Ltd mentioned it has offered its first cargo of biofuel-blended marine gasoil to Maersk Oil Buying and selling (MOT) on the world’s largest bunker hub Singapore because it seeks to broaden into decrease carbon fuels.
The sale by the Singapore-based buying and selling arm of South Korea’s second-largest refiner is a part of GS Caltex’s plans by to broaden its biofuels provide chain abroad. Extra of such biofuel bunkering trials are happening at key international maritime hubs this yr because the delivery trade exams new and cleaner fuels in a bid to scale back emissions.
GS Caltex mentioned it delivered 1,000 metric tons of marine gasoil blended with 24% of Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester (UCOME) to MOT’s bunker barge on an ex-wharf foundation on Nov. 8.
MOT has since delivered the gas, also referred to as B24 or bio-MGO, to its container ships at Tanjung Pelapas in Malaysia, it added.
Maersk mentioned it can’t touch upon particular person offers.
GS Caltex leased 10,000 cubic metres of biofuel storage tanks at Jurong Port Common Terminal earlier this yr to facilitate the mixing of bio-MGO, the corporate mentioned.
UCOME was blended with 0.1% MGO to provide the biofuel for ships, it added.
The UCOME, sourced from Malaysia, is licensed by the Worldwide Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC), GS Caltex mentioned, whereas gasoil elements are sourced from its refinery in South Korea and different Asian international locations and blended on the terminal.
GS Caltex is the highest MGO vendor in Singapore with gross sales volumes averaging at 120,000 tonnes per 30 days this yr, accounting for greater than 40% of MGO ex-wharf gross sales on the hub, the corporate mentioned.
MGO is used to gas ships calling at Emissions Management Areas (ECAs) in Europe and the USA which have stricter sulphur-emission limits.
The corporate is trying to ramp up its provide of bio-blended MGO, which stays a uncommon mix for bunkering in Singapore as most trials to this point have concerned marine gas blends derived from mixing biofuel with gas oil as an alternative of gasoil.
Singapore’s whole gross sales for biofuel-blended marine fuels have exceeded 300,000 tons in 2023 to this point, greater than double from 2022’s whole quantity, knowledge from the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority confirmed.
The info has but to document any sale of bio-MGO bunker in Singapore.
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GS Caltex sells its first bio-marine gasoil bunker in Singapore, SINGAPORE, November 20, 2023
