d’Amico Group to lead on biofuel project

This JIP, which brings together d’Amico Group, TRAFIGURA, ABS, RINA, Lloyd’s Register’s Fuel Oil Bunker Analysis Advisory Service (FOBAS), the Liberian Registry and MAN Energy Solutions will calculate potential CO2 emissions reduction and also assess the stability and degradation of biofuel to confirm that its use will not affect the Tier II certification of the engines.

Cesare D’Api, deputy technical director at d’Amico Group said that shipping needed a GHG lifecycle approach to decarbonisation. “We decided to reduce the carbon footprint by assessing the biofuels as potential low carbon fuel of the future and its effect on the short terms measures adopted by the IMO,” he said.

The tests will be undertaken in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp region on d’Amico’s vessels, Cielo Bianco and Cielo di Rotterdam with fuel supplied by TFG Marine.

The pre-trial phase began in March 2021 with the establishment of fuel testing, inspections, NOx measurement and sea trials protocols. The second phase – the onboard trials – is scheduled for mid-June 2021 and will start as soon as bunkering is completed.

In the post-trial phase, the reported emissions will be analysed with particular focus on CO2 and NOx and their effects on the EEXI and CII, according to the existing draft guidelines. The project is scheduled to end in mid July 2021.