Page 165 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - ΟΚΤΩΒΡΙΟΣ 2024

Credit: Clean Maritime Fuels Platform. This joint initiative waste-derived renewable fuels over crop-based
EPA/TANNEN MAURY portrays a strong push by European ship owners biofuels, which dominated the market until then.
and fuel producers to facilitate access to clean fuels The most common type of waste-based biofuels is
for the decarbonisation of shipping. We believe waste-derived biodiesel, or fatty acid methyl esters
that a closer collaboration between renewable fuel (FA, which can provide an immediate solution
suppliers and ship owners will significantly reduce towards EU obligations and IMO requirements such
technical, operational, and financial barriers across as the Carbon Intensity Indicator - CII). The main
the supply chain for the development and uptake feedstocks are primarily used cooking oils, animal
of renewable maritime fuels. fats, and other waste oils and residues that are part
The platform is expected to meet regularly to of the Renewable Energy Directive Annex IX.
discuss policies and tools for the production and It is no secret that biofuels are the most ‘tech-
uptake of cleaner fuels under the secretariat guid- nologically ready’ existing alternative lower car-
ance of the European Community Shipowners’ bon fuel options for maritime. Waste-based and
Associations (ECSA) and the support of different advanced biodiesel is increasingly being used by
fuel suppliers along with EWABA. shipping companies and operators to achieve emis-
EWABA’s 55+ members from across the EU are sion savings. It is currently the only fuel that can
working tirelessly to produce waste-based and reduce GHG emissions by +90% compared to fossil
advanced biodiesel of the highest quality require- fuel alternatives. Moreover, it can be immediately
ments and GHG savings to bring a new era of clean deployed as volumes are available, and the fuel
shipping to Europe. In 2023, a year of particular has a high energy density to support long voyages
difficulty for the biodiesel community, our mem- at sea. Apart from their GHG reduction benefits,
bers produced 2.12 million tonnes of waste-derived biofuels emit fewer pollutants like sulphur oxides
biodiesel. (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), contributing to
For obligated parties that need to reduce their emis- cleaner air.
sions drastically today, biofuels could be a strategic Biofuels also have the great advantage of being a
tool in their fuel mix. fuel that does not, for instance, require any ship
The market for waste-based biofuels has grown sig- engine switching, making them the obvious com-
nificantly over the past years since EU policymak- pliance solution for the vast majority of the exist-
ers decided to place additional incentives towards ing fleet. Depending on the engine, there can be a

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