JAPAN’s Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd. ("K" Line) has signed a long-term agreement for a supply of carbon-neutral bio-LNG fuel and it has started to use the fuel for its LNG-fuelled car carriers.
It is expected that this procurement agreement will enable "K" Line to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by around 60,800 tonnes per year.
Bio-LNG fuel is an alternative to ‘conventional’ LNG that is produced from livestock excrement, food residue and other organic waste. It has been confirmed that the GHG emissions from the entire product lifecycle, from the manufacturing to the consumption of the fuel, are lower than the emissions from traditional fuels, and it can be used as-is in existing LNG-fuelled vessels, making it very useful, "K" Line says.
"The Bio-LNG that "K" Line is now using is ISCC-EU certified, ensuring a degree of sustainability that is in compliance with the European Union’s Renewable Energy Directive (RED). By proactively adopting internationally certified fuels like this, "K" Line will "help decarbonise entire supply chains in collaboration with cargo owners and other stakeholders," the company said.
"K" Line’s first use of bio-LNG fuel, supplied by Shell Western LNG B.V., was in the middle of last year when 500 tonnes was bunkered to the PCTC Oceanus Highway at the Belgium port of Zeebrugge.
At the time "K" Line noted Bio-LNG is a drop-in solution that is fully compatible with existing LNG infrastructure, making it an effective means of decarbonisation for the shipping industry.
At the time Dexter Belmar, VP of Shell Downstream LNG said: "Bio-LNG is a scalable solution we can use today. It is great for Shell to collaborate with key shipping players like "K" Line that are taking the lead in the adoption of Bio-LNG. Together, we’re helping to build industry-wide momentum in the transition to renewable fuels. Bio-LNG’s increasing availability and commercial viability gives our customers confidence that their dual-fuel LNG fleets are ready to further reduce emissions."
In "K" Line's Environmental Vision 2050: Blue Seas for the Future, the company has set a 2030 interim target of improving CO2 emission efficiency by 50% from 2008, surpassing the IMO target of a 40% improvement.
"Furthermore, we have set our new target for 2050, net-zero GHG emissions. As an action plan, we will continue to work to introduce new low environmental-impact fuels and take on the challenge of achieving the targets we have set," "K" Line said.