Spanish multinational oil and gas company Cepsa has completed its first trial of marine biofuel produced from used oils, the company announced.
The trial was part of Cepsa’s tests to check the efficiency of its 2G biofuel, produced from used oils and very low sulphur fuel (VLSFO), in its own fleet before marketing them on a wider scale.
Conducted over several weeks, the trial was carried out in one of the ships used by the company, the Montestena, which is owned by Ibaizabal, Cepsa said on 6 October.
The biofuel used in the test was loaded at Cepsa’s bioenergy plant in the San Roque Energy Park, in Cádiz, and supplied by one of the vessels the company uses in its bunkering operations in the Bay of Algeciras.
Prior to the bunkering trial, Cepsa said it completed analysis and tests to the biofuel at its research centre to check its compliance with all specifications and quality standards.
The results of the test showed optimal operation and performance of maritime engines, Cepsa said.
“This test proves the safety and technical feasibility of using advanced biofuels in maritime transport, a sector that has the ambition to decarbonise,” Cepsa’s bunker director Carlos Giner said.
The biofuel could be used in ships without modification, the company said, and was almost free of sulphur oxides (SOx).
Cepsa said it aimed to produce 2.5M tonnes of biofuels by 2030 and the bunkering trial was part of its 2030 Positive Motion strategy to promote the decarbonisation of air, road and sea transport.
