In late March, efen and Wilson Sons carried out the first HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) fuelling operation in Brazil's maritime sector. The operation was conducted at the Açu Liquid Bulk Terminal (TLA), owned by Vast Infraestrutura.
Approved in February by Brazil's National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), this is the first HVO testing on vessels operating in Brazil. A substitute to marine diesel oil and known as renewable diesel or green diesel, HVO was imported by efen for tests on Wilson Sons' tugs operating in the Port of Açu, in São João da Barra (Rio de Janeiro).
“This is a major milestone for efen and all other companies involved and is a relevant step towards decarbonization in the Brazilian maritime and port sector. We supplied the first cubic meters of HVO and expect to expand the supply to other vessels of different sizes in the Port of Açu shortly,” efen CEO Rafael Pinheiro explains.
The green diesel study in Açu is expected to test efficiency, its effects on maintenance processes, and the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. HVO can reduce carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) emissions by more than 80%, considering the complete life cycle of the input. However, this reduction in the future may be even greater, considering local production in Brazil.
As a partner of efen, Wilson Sons expects that this initiative may contribute to the company’s carbon reduction goals in its fleet of more than 80 vessels.
Wilson Son’s tug is fuelled with efen’s HVO at terminal owned by Vast in the Port of Açu
“We believe that using HVO, a fuel that is 100% compatible with the engines in our fleet, is a significant step in our emissions reduction journey,” says Wilson Sons Executive Director Marcio Castro. “Only with partners aligned towards a more sustainable operation will we achieve our decarbonization goals. With Porto do Açu, Vast, and efen, we can be sure that we are on the right path,” he adds.
For Vast, this operation reinforces the leading role of the company’s Liquid Bulk Terminal (TLA), which provides the necessary infrastructure for the handling of biofuels, such as HVO.
“The TLA terminal should be enlarged to receive tanks to store and add biocomponents to marine fuels and capture bulk liquids that are not currently planned for the Terminal. We plan that in the coming years, Vast will have a hub operating a wide range of bulk liquids, such as clear fuels, lubricants, ethanol, and chemicals,” projects Eduardo Goulart, Commercial director of Vast Infraestrutura.
A platform for low-carbon projects, Port of Açu stresses the importance of introducing HVO in this industry.
“We are aware of the decarbonization goals in ports and the availability of HVO in Açu ensures that our partners and clients will carry out operations with reduced CO2eq emissions. We are working with global companies that have signed agreements with Açu to set up plants to produce non-fossil fuels based on green hydrogen and ammonia, in addition to HVO,” says Port of Açu CEO Eugenio Figueredo.
Source: Wilson Sons