Tokyo, Japan | September 19, 2025 — Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL), a global leader in ocean shipping, has announced the successful completion of its first biofuel bunkering operation on the Lambert Maru, a capesize bulk carrier owned by MOL and deployed for leading mining company Anglo American. The vessel received the biofuel bunkering in Singapore on September 14, 2025, and has since embarked on a voyage powered by sustainable biofuel—marking a key milestone in the industry’s transition toward low-carbon shipping.
This pioneering voyage exemplifies MOL Group’s commitment to sustainable shipping and aligns with its group-wide carbon inset framework, the BLUE ACTION NET-ZERO ALLIANCE. Through this framework, the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction achieved on this voyage will be digitally certified and attributed to Anglo American, enabling the mining giant to count it toward its Scope 3 decarbonization efforts.
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Biofuel Bunkering: A Cleaner Course for Capesize Shipping
The Lambert Maru was bunkered with a B30 blend biofuel, certified under the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC-EU) standard. The blend contains 30% biomass-derived fuel—sourced from organic material such as waste cooking oil—and is projected to cut CO₂ emissions by around 30% compared to conventional marine fuels.
This certification aligns with the European Union Renewable Energy Directive (RED II), ensuring that the fuel meets stringent sustainability and GHG reduction criteria. While biofuels do emit carbon dioxide during combustion, their biomass origins enable a circular carbon process in which CO₂ absorbed during biomass growth offsets the emissions during use—resulting in a near-zero net CO₂ footprint.
Importantly, this transition requires no modifications to existing marine engines or bunkering infrastructure, making biofuels a practical and immediate pathway to reduce emissions within today’s global fleet.
Pioneering Digital Certification for Emissions Reduction
As part of the voyage’s decarbonization impact, MOL is providing Anglo American with digitally certified GHG reduction values. These can be incorporated into corporate sustainability disclosures and integrated reports, creating a transparent, verifiable, and standardized accounting of carbon reductions. This represents a new frontier in how shipping companies and cargo owners collaborate to meet mutual ESG goals and comply with upcoming regulatory standards such as the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) and EU ETS maritime rules.
Vessel Profile: Lambert Maru
- Vessel Type: Capesize Bulk Carrier
- Length Overall (LOA): 292 meters
- Breadth: 45 meters
- Draft: 18 meters
- Deadweight Tonnage: 180,432 MT
Strategic Alignment with MOL’s Environmental Vision
This biofuel-powered voyage is a key implementation under BLUE ACTION 2035, MOL’s long-term environmental strategy aimed at achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its fleet. The Lambert Maru’s successful bunkering and operation serve as a model for how shipowners, charterers, and fuel suppliers can co-create scalable decarbonization solutions.
The initiative also contributes directly to MOL’s Sustainability Issues, specifically the core focus area of “Environment – Conservation for Marine and Global Environment.”
About Anglo American
Anglo American (Head Office: London, UK), is a leading global mining company whose products are fundamental to modern life and a more sustainable future. With a world-class portfolio that includes diamonds (via De Beers), copper, platinum group metals, high-quality iron ore, steelmaking coal, and nickel—with crop nutrients in development—the company supplies essential materials that support the global energy transition and meet the growing demands of billions.
Committed to carbon neutrality by 2040, Anglo American applies cutting-edge technology and responsible practices across its operations, guided by its Sustainable Mining Plan to deliver lasting environmental, social, and economic value.
About Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL)
MOL is a global leader in shipping, operating over 800 ships worldwide. Its diverse fleet includes bulk carriers, liquefied natural gas carriers, Ro-Ro car carrier ships, and oil tankers, among others. Beyond traditional shipping, MOL also engages in social infrastructure businesses, including real estate, terminal and logistics, and offshore wind power. With one of the largest merchant fleets and 140 years of history, MOL aims to be a resilient corporate group that provides new value to all stakeholders.
Source Mitsui O.S.K. Lines