Early last year we wrote about signs that the shipping industry is “going green” and the ongoing efforts by individual container line operators to convert to the use of environmentally-friendly fuels to assist in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
The Port of Brisbane is playing its part and this month an ANL containerised cargo vessel powered by biofuel departed from here on a 42-day rotation to Southeast Asia and then on to key Australian ports. The international shipping voyage carried a vast array of consumer goods from cotton, meat, beverages and dairy to machinery, furniture, fashion textiles and ceramics. The trial was undertaken on ANL’s AAX1 service.
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Steven Miles welcomed the ship to the Port of Brisbane. “Queensland has the potential to become a leading biofuel refuelling station in the western Pacific,” he said. “The Queensland Government played a key role in partnering with ANL for the trial. Using locally produced biofuel, the project allows ships to make immediate and significant reductions to their emissions, helping to protect marine life, biodiversity and the planet.”
The sea voyage was also supported by Woolworths as a key partner on this biofuel trial, who are looking to invest in new opportunities to lower supply chain emissions across the board. Woolworths works with ANL through its supply chain business, Primary Connect, to bring household products to Australia and deliver Australian products like breakfast foods, cooking products and snacks to Asia under a range of their own brands.
The trial voyage used a B20 biofuel blend with feedstock supplied by Queensland based EcoTech, while BP Marine and Port of Brisbane played a pivotal role in supplying and bunkering the blended fuel. The Queensland Government has also supported the trial through its Biofutures 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan which is building on the state’s emerging strengths in biofutures and biofuels to secure local jobs, to demonstrate that Queensland is a leading destination for clean energy investment. The prospect of being able to transport these goods with lower emissions could positively impact tens of thousands of consumers from this one sailing.
Setting the goal of achieving Net Zero carbon by 2050, ANL as a part of the CMA CGM Group says it is heavily investing in energy transition using the best technical solutions available today while proactively preparing for the future. The group already operates 27 vessels “e-methane ready” and will have a total of 44 vessels by the end of 2024. They are also using biofuel onboard container ships that serve Intra-Europe. Biofuel, together with alternative fuels such as LNG and biomethane among others, will make up 10% of the CMA CGM Group’s energy mix by 2023.
With the success of the biofuel trial now in hand, ANL envisages this blend to be more broadly adopted in Oceania, in line with the forthcoming International Maritime Organisation’s GHG Regulations set to launch in 2023.
For information about all matters concerning international shipping and trade, contact us here at Colless Young. As licensed Customs Brokers and International Freight Forwarders we offer correct, professional advice on all your import and export transactions. We are based in Brisbane and provide a complete range of logistics services, for both airfreight and sea cargo through all Australian ports and airports.
