The Great Eastern Shipping Co. Ltd. with support from the director general of shipping, India & Indian Registry of Shipping have successfully completed India’s first trials on an MR tanker in international waters using biofuel-blend.

The biofuel grade B20M, a blend of ISCC certified 20 percent FAME biofuel and 80 percent VLSFO was bunkered at Dubai anchorage, UAE from a German company UNIPER Energy and the trials were conducted in international waters. There were no challenges faced during these trials.

Biofuel is a fuel that is derived from renewable sources — in this case, waste oils such as used cooking oil. Biofuels are considered to be carbon-neutral because the carbon dioxide that is absorbed by the source of the biomass is equal to the carbon dioxide that is released when the fuel is burned, thus helping the fuel to gain more attention around the world.

The sustainable biofuels can be used as a marine “drop-in fuel” to help reduce carbon emissions in shipping.

GE Shipping is India’s largest private sector shipping company which owns and commercially manages a fleet comprising of tankers and bulk carriers. This trial is a milestone in our journey towards decarbonisation.