Furetank is now taking a crucial step towards fossil freedom, operating its EU-based fleet on biogas. A large-scale agreement for mass-balanced biomethane enables an immediate transition to renewable operations. New EU legislation has made it possible for Furetank to finally complete the shift it initiated a decade ago.
Accessing biogas in large volumes has long been a bottleneck for Furetank and other shipping companies that chose gas propulsion as the fastest route towards renewable fuels. With the FuelEU Maritime regulation, in force since the start of this year, it is now possible to account for mass-balanced biogas,meaning certified biogas can be injected into one end of the European gas grid and withdrawn at the other, just as has long been done with green electricity.
Furetank has now signed an agreement securing all the biogas required to operate all wholly and partly owned gas-propelled vessels trading in the EU during 2025. Most vessels have now been bunkered and the transition is taking place. “This has been our goal for ten years”
“This was our target when we converted our first vessel to gas propulsion in 2015. It is remarkable that we have finally reached the point we have worked for and talked about for so long. At last, the right incentives are in place to make the business case possible. We have found partners who can deliver the volume and quality of gas we have been looking for, with a very significant CO₂ reduction,” said Viktoria Höglund, Sustainability Strategist at Furetank.
The purchased biomethane provides a 150–200 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on a well-to-wake basis. Cutting emissions by more than 100 per cent may sound like science fiction, but it comes down to the fact that biomethane produced from, for example, manure both reduces and captures emissions in several stages.
| Read More: Hormuz Marine to Launch First Bunkering Facility at Duqm Dry Dock |
It prevents the potent greenhouse gas methane from being released into the atmosphere during natural decomposition of waste, while also replacing fossil fuels in vessel operations. In addition, residues from the biogas process return carbon to the soil as organic fertiliser, avoiding emissions from the production of synthetic fertilisers.
”Breakthrough for renewable fuels in shipping”
Agricultural group Cargill produces the biogas from waste, while Titan Clean Fuels liquefies and delivers the end product: mass-balanced liquefied biomethane (LBM).
“What makes this agreement stand out is its scale. Furetank has secured significant volumes, becoming one of the first movers in this market. The FuelEU legislation is set to drive meaningful change, and we are only seeing the beginning of LBM in shipping as one of the most accessible compliance solutions for shipping, requiring no engine modifications in LNG-fuelled vessels,” said Willem Olde Kalter, responsible for Biogas and FuelEU at Cargill.
”This is a perfect demonstration of all players in the supply chain working together to make a pioneering deal happen. The security of this product, with end-to-end transparency as the gas is produced in Europe, means the entire production chain can be verified and certified. The demand for bio-LNG is accelerating quickly and will only keep increasing”, said Lana Sissing, Client Manager at Titan Clean Fuels.
EU 2050 target within reach
A small share of vessel operations, about ten per cent of total fuel consumption, cannot be powered by biomethane. Part of this is the small amount of pilot fuel injected into the gas engine to initiate combustion, traditionally marine gas oil. Furetank is now conducting its first trial replacing it HVO100 renewable diesel, supplied by ScanOcean. This means that the vessel Fure Valö arrives to the Donsö Shipping Meet on Sep 1st in a completely fossil-free manner.
The last part of propulsion involves operating the energy-intensive cargo pumps, which can now be operated via shore power connection on all Furetank vessels concerned; provided that ports offer the possibility.
“This means we have done everything currently possible to enter the fossil-free era. In this way, we demonstrate that the 2050 targets are within reach in the immediate future, through the incentives put into force,” said Viktoria Höglund.
