Hong Kong debuts B30 marine biofuel in joint effort by CPN and OOCL

Hong Kong-headquartered bunker service provider Chimbusco Pan Nation Petro-Chemical (CPN) and compatriot shipping player Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) have marked the completion of Hong Kong’s ‘first’ B30 marine biofuel bunkering.

As disclosed, a containership owned by OOCL was supplied with ISCC-EU certified B30 biofuel—which is a blend of 70% very low sulfur oil (VLSFO) or high sulfur fuel oil (HSFO) with 30% used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME)—on May 7, 2025.

According to CPN, the fuel supply was the first for both Hong Kong and Orient Overseas Container Line, which has been actively seeking sustainable solutions for its operations, such as ships powered by eco-friendly energy sources, as part of its broader emission reduction ambitions.

The development also comes around two months after CPN wrapped up what was hailed as the “largest delivery of B24 biofuel in Hong Kong.”

Under the latest guidelines set at the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83) session, held in the second week of April this year, the conventional barge fleet can now carry up to 30% biofuel. The B30 oil is believed to help vessels achieve a reduction in carbon emissions by as much as 25%—five percentage points higher than the reduction that B24 biofuel blend can reportedly accomplish.

The IMO formally started clearing the path for bunkers ships certified as oil tankers to carry 30% biofuel blends in February 2025, following a session of the entity’s subcommittee on pollution prevention and response. As understood, the circular produced during the meeting was given a green light at MEPC 83.

Beyond Hong Kong, numerous players in the maritime industry arena that have already been exploring their options on biofuels have ever since shown interest in gradually switching to blends like B30 (and higher in terms of percentage).

For example, at the beginning of March 2025, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) announced that conventional bunker ships sailing under the country’s flag can, moving forth, carry blends up to B30 (the previous limit had reportedly been B25), without the need to seek the MPA’s separate approval.

As informed, while biofuel blends of up to B50 are already commercially available, trials with higher concentrations—up to B100—are still underway.

One such initiative involves a joint effort, revealed in October 2024, by China Classification Society (CCS), Weichai Singapore, the Marine Energy and Sustainability Research Department at Nanyang Technological University (MESD), and Pinnacle Marine, who decided to conduct a 1,000-hour B100 biofuel trial in Singaporean waters.