The Dutch maritime logistics company VT Group (Verenigde Tankrederij BV) has joined forces with FinCo Group, independent supplier of sustainable energy solutions, to make an ambitious contribution to the necessary CO2-reduction in the inland navigation sector.
Both companies want to be at the forefront of sustainability and demonstrate the possibilities of biodiesel in inland shipping. That is why, where possible, they test different biofuels on different ships, a unique opportunity to gain experience. Over the past nine months, a pilot with 100% FAME has been carried out on the ship ‘MTS Vlissingen’ of VT Group.
FAME is biodiesel that is produced from animal and vegetable residues or used cooking oil and delivers a CO2 reduction of up to 89 percent. Also 100% FAME is a very accessible biodiesel that can be used with minimal modifications. For this pilot, VT Group, in consultation with FinCo, adjusted the conditioning of the fuel supply system on the ship. FinCo then supplied the required 100% FAME, which was partly purchased from Argent Energy. During this trial period, both parties collected a lot of useful data and gained technical knowledge about the operational deployment of this product under various circumstances. With this valuable information, VT Group and FinCo Group can now move forward together.
Claudia Beumer, Global Account Manager VT Group: “We are satisfied. Even in this pilot setup at the ‘MTS Vlissingen‘ no technically insoluble situations have occurred FAME is a beautiful biodiesel that, with minimal technical adjustments, can be used directly in inland shipping. VT now wants to use FAME structurally as biodiesel and work towards greening the VT fleet, together with FinCo.”
Both FinCo and VT Group have expressed the intention to continue the good cooperation. Alex van der Made, Manager Supply FinCo Group: “As an independent supplier of a broad portfolio of (bio)fuels, FinCo is as close as possible to its most important customers. In recent years, with our infrastructure and experience with sustainable energy carriers, we have created a unique market position to supply inland shipping with sustainable fuels. We look forward to supporting VT Group in achieving their sustainability goals in the future.”
After the ‘MTS Vlissingen’, VT Group wants to convert the ‘MTS Vorstenbosch’, the largest bunker vessel in the world, to FAME. After that, the other ships in the fleet can also switch to biodiesel. These ships will start with a lower blend, where a CO2 reduction can be achieved immediately without the necessary adjustments. In the coming years, the ships will be technically prepared one by one to be able to make the switch to 100% FAME.
Source Finco Fuel Group B.V.