BHP tests biofuel made from used cooking oil and animal fats for maritime shipping

Mining company BHP and the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) are conducting a pilot project using biofuel on a bulk carrier transporting iron ore from Australia to China. The vessel is operating on a biodiesel blend produced from used cooking oil and waste animal fats.

As part of the project, researchers are evaluating how biofuels derived from multiple feedstocks can be blended, stored, and used under real-world operating conditions. The trial is also assessing fuel quality, traceability, handling requirements, and vessel performance.

For the pilot, the bulk carrier Berge Lyngor was bunkered in Singapore with a B100 fuel blend consisting of 50% tallow-based biodiesel and 50% biofuel derived from used cooking oil. According to project estimates, the fuel could reduce well-to-wake greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 79% per voyage compared with conventional very low sulphur fuel oil.

BHP noted that the global shipping industry needs a broader range of alternative fuels to support decarbonization efforts. At present, marine biofuels rely heavily on used cooking oil, but the availability of this feedstock is approaching its projected limits, increasing the need for additional sources.

Project participants believe that biofuels produced from waste animal fats could become an important component of the future low-carbon marine fuel mix alongside liquefied natural gas and ammonia. The initiative is supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore through its Maritime Innovation and Technology Fund.

Tags: used cooking oil, biofuel, animal fats