bp Marine, part of bp’s trading and shipping business, has entered into a long-term supply agreement with integrated transport company StraitNZ, which includes the supply of marine biofuels in the port of Wellington.
StraitNZ’s network includes Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferries that connects the north and south islands between Wellington and Picton with 50 freight and passenger voyages a week.
“This is the first of its kind for the Port of Wellington,” said global head of bp Marine, Eddie Gauci.
“bp is making a major investment across our Wellington Terminal network in preparation for introducing marine biofuel blends.”
Gauci continued that Biofuels are vital in decarbonising transport, including the marine sector, adding that bp is happy to be working with StraitNZ and supporting its effort to play its part in helping the world get to net zero through decarbonising its fleet. With the marine biofuel blend supplied by bp, Gauci believed the bp would help StraitNZ achieve its goal.
Bioenergy is one of bp’s five transition growth engines, and bp aims to produce around 100,000 barrels of biofuels per day globally by 2030.
bp Marine’s new Wellington offer will comprise the supply of marine fuels by barge, including the region’s first bio-VLSFO, to its customers in early 2024.
The fuel will include a 24 percent Used Cooking Oil Methyl Ester (UCOME) biofuel blended with low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO). The UCOME component is certified by the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification System (ISCC), an internationally recognised certification scheme for biobased materials.
This biofuel blend is estimated to help reduce lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions associated with the fuel by up to 20 percent compared to standard marine fuel oil equivalents.
