IKEA, CMA CGM and GoodShipping successfully complete 2019 biofuel test programme

Nov 29, 2019: IKEA Transport & Logistics Services, the CMA CGM Group, and the GoodShipping Program have successfully completed their 2019 biofuel test programme on CMA CGM vessels.

Under the unprecedented trial, sustainable Bio-Fuel Oil was used in a blend with conventional fossil-based marine fuels to power a vessel on a major oceangoing route. Both applications of the Bio-Fuel Oil showed a positive result, thus proving the technical compatibility of sustainable marine biofuels. These developments demonstrate the viability of advanced biofuels to meet current and future environmental regulations and emissions reductions targets, delivering a more sustainable shipping industry.

The test programme was conducted following the positive trials of Heavy Fuel Oil-equivalent (HFO) Bio-Fuel Oil (GoodFuels BFO) during CMA CGM Alexander Von Humboldt's North Europe-Asia trip, which occurred in September and October 2019. The trials come at a time when the shipping industry is under increasing scrutiny to improve its sustainability and move towards decarbonisation.

Elisabeth Munck af Rosenschöld, head of sustainability, IKEA Global Transport & Logistics Services, said, “We are pleased to conclude that this pilot has been successful and that it has been proven possible to use advanced Bio-Fuel Oil on oceangoing vessels. It is only through collaboration and partnerships between major players - including cargo owners, ship operators and solution providers - that we can achieve real change at fast pace. We need a diversified portfolio of solutions to achieve our ambitious emissions reduction targets – and marine biofuels are an important part of the puzzle going forward for our sector.”

Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO, The GoodShipping Program said, “The success of this test programme with IKEA and CMA CGM builds further evidence of the important role that Bio-Fuel Oil will play in the marine fuel mix, and proves that initiatives already exist on the market for cargo owners to realise their decarbonisation goals. The GoodShipping Program is committed to helping more cargo owners unlock the potential of this direct decarbonisation option in the near future, as our sector continues to establish and embrace its wider carbon reduction efforts.”