Rio Tinto aims to reduce carbon emission from its marine fleet, teams up with British Petroleum on a sustainable bio fuel trial

Rio Tinto and British Petroleum (bp) have agreed to collaborate on a one-year biofuel trial to assist Rio Tinto's marine fleet to reduce carbon emissions. British Petroleum will supply marine biofuel to Rio Tinto as part of the trial for approximately 12 months.

The findings from the trial will be used to research strategies to minimise carbon emissions from its marine fleet and shape its future biofuel strategy. The fuel will be tested on Rio Tinto’s RTM Tasman vessel on a mix of Transatlantic and Atlantic-Pacific itineraries. This will be one of the longest-duration marine biofuel trials to date.

The project is employing a B30 biofuel blend made by bp that contains 30 per cent fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) and extremely low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO). When compared to regular marine fuel oil, this B30 biofuel mix can cut lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions by up to 26 per cent. Rio Tinto is also one of the world’s largest dry bulk shippers of ores like bauxite.

The RTM Tasman completed a successful voyage after refuelling with biofuel for the first time in Rotterdam in March 2022 and picking up its first load of the experiment at the Iron Ore Company of Canada's Sept-Îles port in Quebec in April. During the experiment, all biofuel refuelling will take place in Rotterdam.

 “Sustainable biofuels have the potential to be an important transition fuel on the way to net-zero marine emissions and we are pleased to be working with bp to carry out this long-term trial. A longer-duration trial will provide important information on the potential role and wide scale use of biofuels, and aligns with our goals to reduce marine emissions across our value chain and support efforts to decarbonise the maritime industry,” said Laure Baratgin, Head of Commercial Operations in Rio Tinto.

 “Our ambition is to reach net-zero emissions from shipping of our products to customers by 2050 and to introduce net-zero carbon vessels into our portfolio by 2030. We know that we won’t meet these ambitions alone and along the way will need to work with capable and experienced companies such as bp,” added Laure Baratgin.

FAME is a biodiesel-like renewable alternative fuel made mostly from recycled cooking oils and renewable oil sources. It has identical physical attributes to ordinary diesel and is a 'drop-in fuel,' requiring no engine or vessel changes. The sustainability of the feedstocks used to make the FAME has been validated according to globally accepted criteria.

The study will examine a variety of engine and fuel performance aspects, including engine efficiency and fuel consumption, corrosion and degradation, microbiological development, temperature effect, fuel switching impacts, and fuel stability, in collaboration with BP and ship managers Anglo-Eastern.

“Sustainable biofuels are important to help decarbonise the shipping industry in the near- and mid-term as we transition towards longer term net zero solutions. We’re proud to be working with Rio Tinto to support their work to decarbonise. These trials are part of our ongoing efforts to help accelerate the shipping industry’s energy transition,” said Sven Boss-Walker, senior vice president refining & products trading, bp.