Brazilian iron ore miner Vale announced that for the first time, it has shipped iron ore in a bulk vessel powered by biofuel.
In partnership with Oldendorff Carriers, the vessel Hinrich Oldendorff was fueled by a blend of residual cooking oil and fuel oil in Singapore on October 16, on the ballast voyage to Brazil.
According to Vale, the vessel was loaded on November 29 with iron ore in the Guaiba Island Terminal, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, and will consume the blended biofuel on the laden leg from Brazil to Asia
The vessel was loaded with an estimated 200,000 mt of iron ore, equivalent to its full capacity.
The B24 biofuel on board is a blend of about 24 percent biodiesel produced with used cooking oil of vegetable origin (286 mt) and fuel oil, being certified by agencies EU RED and ISCC.
The expected CO2 equivalent savings is around 18 percent, or 785 mt of CO2 equivalent, helping to reduce Vale’s Scope 3 emissions.