LR biofuel advisory service to help biofuel adoption at scale

The service targets shipowners, fuel suppliers and producers adopt it at scale. Biofuels are emerging as one of the most reliable alternatives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, due to serving as ‘drop-in’ replacements for traditional fossil fuels. It means they are relatively straightforward to adopt and don’t require adaptation of machinery and fuel tanks.

However, there remains uncertainty within the industry about what is required. LR’s new service will provide end-to-end support across the entire supply chain, from production and certification to delivery and onboard use.

LR’s Fuel Oil Bunker Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) has experience with biofuels spanning over 20 years, and the new service builds on the groundwork laid by FOBAS.

Some success stories include supporting UECC in using cashew nutshell liquid for marine fuel and guiding Whitaker Tankers’ Whitchampion to achieve the fast FAME B100 certification.

At the moment, the most established biofuels are Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) and Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO).

Feedstock availability and competition from other transport sectors are significant challenges. The price of biodiesel blends is expected to increase along with blending levels as feedstock prices are driven higher.