Japanese shipping company NYK intends to conduct full-scale trials of long-term use of biofuels, starting in 2024, in a move which is expected to enable the company to operate its existing HFO-fuelled fleet with net-zero CO2 emissions.
Moving forward from the company’s previous short-term trials, NYK says it will comprehensively verify the safety and stable procurement of biofuels over a long period. The trial will enable NYK to establish a safe navigation system using biofuels and promote biofuel development to achieve the Group’s goal of a 45% reduction in GHG emissions by fiscal 2030 compared to fiscal 2021.
The first part of the trial will see NYK will using biofuel continuously for three months on multiple vessel types. Subsequently, biofuel use will be extended for a longer period, enabling further validation.
Since 2019, NYK Group has conducted various short-term biofuel trials on about 10 vessels. Although these trials confirmed the safety of short-term biofuel use, NYK has not yet verified the impact of biofuels on the ship’s main engine, generators and fuel supply system, and neither has the quality of biofuels after a certain storage period been determined. NYK says it needs to ensure the stability of biofuel procurement when used in more vessels.
