HMM has announced it has conducted a trial using marine biofuel on the HMM TACOMA, a 6,400 TEU containership calling at the port of Busan, South Korea.
Supplied by GS Caltex, the fuel is composed of 30% biodiesel derived from used cooking oil and 70% high-sulphur fuel oil (HSFO), resulting in a 24% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional fuels, the company said on Friday (15 September).
The biofuel trial follows a previously announced memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the companies to secure marine biofuels signed earlier this year.
Going forward, HMM said it plans to expand the use of biofuel gradually, ‘reaching about 5-10%' of annual fuel consumption.
‘We continue to find a way to go green, making meaningful progress toward a carbon-free future,’ an HMM official said. ‘To this end, we will seek to enhance our environmental competence and thereby be positioned as a top-rated carrier in responding to climate issues.’
In 2021, HMM completed its first test voyage using biofuel on its 13,100TEU containership HMM DREAM. On that occasion, HMM used a 20% biofuel blend based on very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO).
The company has also signed newbuilding contracts for nine 9,000 TEU methanol-powered vessels.
