🕒 Article read time: 5 minutes
Drop-in the ocean?
Can biofuels from CO₂-negative production offer compliance and commercial advantages to maritime sector?
By Jakob Bejbro Andersen, CEO, MASH Makes.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has set a clear course: net zero emissions from shipping by 2050, with emissions pricing and caps expected as early as 2028. These regulations are reshaping how shipowners think about fuels. But ambition alone doesn’t move cargo.
The real question is: how do you stay ahead of regulation and make sustainable fuels commercially viable?
That’s the challenge—and opportunity—MASH Makes is addressing.
In partnership with DS NORDEN, we recently completed a commercial vessel trial using a drop-in biofuel produced via a CO₂-negative process. The voyage - from Singapore to Brazil - used 65 tonnes of blended fuel (20% from MASH Makes) in the auxiliary engine.
No engine modifications. No infrastructure changes. Just operational simplicity and emissions impact. This is a technical success that opens a commercial path for shipowners to offer their customers deeper, more credible emissions reductions long before 2030.
What makes this biofuel different?
Our advanced biofuel is made from agricultural waste using a clean technology called pyrolysis. Pyrolysis is a process where plant-based waste is heated without oxygen.
Instead of burning, the material breaks down into two interdependent products:
- Biofuel – a drop-in replacement compatible with marine engines and compliant with ISO 8217 specs
- Biochar – a solid carbon material that is inherently stable for hundreds of years. When applied to soil, it also improves soil health and helps plants grow better
These products are not by-products but co-products of a single process that are inextricably connected. Removing one from the equation would break the carbon lifecycle that makes our system carbon negative.
For every tonne of fuel produced, 5.7 tonnes of CO₂ are removed from the atmosphere — a result only possible because the carbon in the original biomass is stabilised as biochar instead of being released back into the air. This is verified by Boundless Impact Research and Analytics and follows recognised carbon removal standards.
So, is it a CO₂-negative fuel?
In full lifecycle terms—yes. But in compliance terms—not yet. Regulatory systems like the EU ETS or FuelEU Maritime focus on direct emissions (ex. tank-to-wake), and don’t fully account for upstream carbon removal. They also don’t allow for any significant negative emissions claims. That’s why we describe our product as a fuel from a CO₂-negative process. The distinction matters, but the value proposition remains strong.
The overlooked commercial opportunity: Scope 2 and 3 demand
Currently, using biofuel is enough to be “compliant”. But increasingly, that’s just a starting point.
Many cargo owners —especially in retail, consumer goods, and manufacturing— have their own net-zero targets. That means tackling Scope 3 emissions, including those from logistics and transport. For these customers, a credible, verifiable way to cut transport-related emissions is urgently needed.
This is where shipowners can differentiate. A shipowner can offer real value to clients looking to reduce their logistics footprint by offering carbon-negative solutions with verified removals.
Simply put, there’s growing demand for emissions reductions that go beyond compliance, and few options exist that are scalable and operationally viable. In this regard, each ton of MASH biofuel has a significantly higher potential for selling scope 3 emissions reductions to customers.
From cost centre to value proposition
Drop-in biofuels are a limited resource. That scarcity—along with highquality carbon credit demand—means prices are rising. For shipowners and logistics providers, that makes it even more important to extract commercial value from emissions reductions.
With our model:
- Shipowners can offer value-added fuel options to customers
- Customers can claim carbon reductions (Scope 3) with third-party verification
- Credits from the associated carbon removal can be bundled or sold separately
The outcome is a more flexible and commercially compelling decarbonisation option.
What’s next?
We are preparing for trials in main engines and working with the Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping to model the full lifecycle impact of our fuel and biochar pathway.
We're also exploring ways to integrate our removals into existing certification systems, making it easier for shipowners and their customers to benefit.
Biofuels from CO₂-negative processes are no longer experimental for logistics providers and shipowners. They’re a scalable way to meet compliance needs and offer something more valuable to their customers
Published On: 17/06/2025 12:14:07
