KN (AB Klaipėdos Nafta), the operator of the Lithuanian terminal, says over 37,000 tons of biofuel have been handled at the facility since the start of 2020, compared with around 5,000 tons throughout 2019.
Two types of biofuel are handled at the KN Klaipėda Oil Terminal: ethanol and fatty acid methyl ester, better known as biodiesel. These biofuels are mixed into conventional fuels to reduce transport emissions, and the terminal is also able to undertake fuel blending.
According to KN, most of the biofuels handled at the terminal are destined for Western and Northern European markets. The company also notes that in 2020 the throughput of biofuels has been regular on a month by month basis, whereas activity was much more variable in 2018 and 2019.
Jurgita Šilinskaitė-Venslovienė, interim Director of Commerce at KN, also highlighted the transposition of European Union policy on emissions reduction into the laws of Member States, including Lithuania.
She noted that: ‘A Law on Alternative Fuels is currently being drafted in Lithuania. It provides that no less than 6.8% of the energy value of fuel must be biofuels.
‘These volumes will increase in 2025 and 2030 accordingly, and will have to make up for as much as 16.8%. A few years ago, KN responded to trends in biofuel demand, by making it possible for customers to load these products or mix biofuels into internal combustion engine fuels. We are ready to respond to the growing demand for biofuels and create conditions for our customers to transship even larger amounts of biofuels using the infrastructure available in Klaipėda port.’
At present, only a few Baltic ports handle biofuels. In addition to Klaipėda port, biofuels are transshipped in Ventspils and Liepaja (Latvia).