ANL has carried out what it says is the first biofuel trial on a containership in Oceania.

The trial, on ANL’s AAX1 service, was a 42-day rotation, commencing in Brisbane, travelling via South East Asia and then on to key Australian ports.

ANL said the trial voyage used a B20 biofuel blend with feedstock supplied by Queensland-based EcoTech. BP Marine and Port of Brisbane played supplied and bunkered the blended fuel.

The Queensland government supported the trial through its Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan.

ANL said Woolworths Group had been a key partner on the biofuel trial. Woolworths Group works with ANL through its supply chain business, Primary Connect, to bring quality household products to Australia and deliver Australian products like breakfast foods, cooking products and snacks to Asia under a range of Woolworths brands.

ANL managing director Shane Walden said the trial voyage is a crucial step in the company’s journey to net-zero carbon and the industry’s evolution to a cleaner and more sustainable way of working.

“We’re very grateful to our longstanding client Woolworths Group as our key partner on the trial,” Mr Walden said.

“Collaboration for the UN Sustainable Development Goals is certainly key.”

Woolworths Group director of transport and Primary Connect Chris Brooks said the company had already reduced its own emissions by 27% and is looking to expand its efforts to make its supply chains greener.

“Not only does ANL bring quality household products to Australia for our customers, it also helps us take great Australian Woolworths Group products to the world,” he said.

“This biofuel trial is a first of its kind for our business and we’re optimistic about how we can work with innovative partners like ANL to make each link in the supply chain more sustainable for a better tomorrow.”

Queensland Deputy Premier and minister for state development Steven Miles welcomed the ship to the Port of Brisbane.

“Queensland has the potential to become a leading biofuel refuelling station in the western Pacific.  The Queensland Government played a key role in partnering with ANL for the trial,” Mr Miles said.

“Using locally produced biofuel, the project allows ships to make immediate and significant reductions to their emissions, helping to protect marine life, biodiversity and the planet.”

Port of Brisbane CEO Neil Stephens said the trial was a glimpse into a cleaner future for the shipping industry.

“We’re pleased to have worked closely with ANL, EcoTech, and BP Marine to make it happen,” he said.

“Only by working together can we make a genuine difference in reducing emissions and delivering a more sustainable port for the future.”

After the success of the biofuel trial, ANL said it envisages this blend to be more broadly adopted in Oceania in line with the forthcoming IMO GHG Regulations, set to launch next year.

ANL, as part of the CMA CGM Group, aims to achieve net-zero carbon by 2050. The CMA CGM group currently operates 27 that it says are “e-methane ready”. It said it will have 44 such vessels by the end of 2024. The company said biofuel, together with alternative fuels such as LNG and biomethane, among others, will make up 10% of CMA CGM Group’s energy mix by next year.