According to SAFETY4SEA, Vitol Bunkers and Olam Agri completed the first Singapore test operation of bio-bunkering using very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) co-processed with cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL).
Supply and voyage parameters
As part of the trial, 246.5 tonnes of co-processed VLSFO were delivered to the vessel MV Scion Mathilda in Singapore port. Of this:
- 212 tonnes of standard VLSFO;
- 34.5 tonnes of VLSFO co-processed with CNSL.
The fuel was supplied by Vitol Bunkers, while the procurement was organized by Olam Agri's marine chartering business.
After bunkering, the vessel completed a voyage with cargo from Caofeidian, China to Rotterdam, the Netherlands, then in ballast to Barcarena, Brazil. Fuel consumption over the entire voyage was recorded as:
- 1,354 tonnes of VLSFO;
- 101 tonnes of marine gas oil (MGO);
- 34.1 tonnes of co-processed VLSFO.
Results and significance of the operation
According to the companies, the voyage was completed without operational failures. It clearly confirmed that the fuel performed without additional onboard processing and without changes to normal fuel handling procedures.
A key part of the project is the approach to CNSL: direct blending of CNSL into fuel was considered contentious due to compatibility and handling concerns. Co-processing the feedstock in the refinery stream creates an alternative route for using CNSL in marine fuel while preserving VLSFO characteristics.
The product obtained falls under the RMG380 VLSFO category and has the same chemical structure and quality as standard VLSFO. This, according to the companies, allows it to be used without additional approvals or special clauses in charter parties.
Participants in the project noted that this mass balance solution offers a scalable pathway for using CNSL—a by-product of cashew processing—in the decarbonization of maritime transport, especially amid stricter environmental requirements for 2030 and growing competition for sustainable bio-based feedstocks.
GLOAPM.COM