Swire Shipping tests B24 biodiesel in container ship operating from Vietnam to US West Coast
Singapore-based Swire Shipping has conducted biofuel trials on the container ship Suva Chief operating between Vietnam and the United States.
Swire Shipping North America president Harry Stones said the trials are part of the ship operator’s plans to explore sustainable shipping solutions in response to increasing demand for greener options. “The use of sustainable B24 biofuel in our Sun Chief Express Ocean service is projected to reduce well-to-wake emissions for our customers by an estimated 15%,” said Mr Stones.
One of Swire Shipping’s Fuji-class container ships built in China in 2020-2021, Suva Chief is powered by a two-stroke, slow-speed WinGD 6X62 main diesel engine. With a length overall of 186 m and beam of 35 m, the Hong Kong-flag container ship has a capacity of 2,750 TEU.
Suva Chief, a vessel on the Sun Chief Express Ocean service, was bunkered in Hong Kong with sustainable B24 biofuel, a blend of sustainable biodiesel of waste origin and conventional fuels. The trial was conducted in partnership with Hong Kong-based marine fuel supplier Chimbusco Pan Nation Petro-chemical Co and Swire Shipping’s bunkering partner, Hafnia Bunker Alliance.
Swire Shipping’s decarbonisation roadmap, outlined in its latest sustainability report, outlines a strategy for achieving a 50% reduction in its carbon intensity by 2030, and net-zero emissions by 2050 by using 100% of near-zero emissions fuels in its operated fleet.