This initiative will utilise the marine shipping facilities of Kanematsu Yuso Co. Ltd. (a Kanematsu Group company) to establish a bio-blended fuel supply system. Idemitsu has begun supplying bio-blended fuel to shipping companies such as Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd, and aims to supply a total of 5000 t of bio-blended fuel, including to coastal vessels, by March 2026. This will contribute to the decarbonisation of the shipping industry.
The shipping industry is rapidly shifting to fuels with lower greenhouse gas emissions, driven by the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s greenhouse gas reduction targets.
In response to this decarbonisation movement in the shipping industry, operational trials for coastal vessels were conducted in Hokkaido from 2023 to 2024, with the aim of commercialising biofuel blends, which are expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 20% compared to conventional marine fuels. Hokkaido’s cold climate poses challenges, such as fuel solidifying easily due to low temperatures. However, it was confirmed that using bio-blended fuel allows for stable operation under the same equipment and operating conditions as when using conventional vessel fuel. As a next step, the companies will begin supplying bio-blended fuel to coastal and ocean-going vessels using the marine shipping facilities at Kanematsu Oil Tank’s Kokura Oil Tank Yard (Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan).