MOL-operated coal carrier embarks on first biofuel trial for Japanese electric utility

June 27, 2025, by Ajsa Habibic

Hokulink, a coal carrier operated by Japanese shipping company Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) for Hokuriku Electric Power Company, has embarked on technical trial voyages using biofuel, marking the first use of B30 for a Japanese electric power company.

As disclosed by MOL, the 2022-built EeneX series vessel was refueled with biofuel at Yeosu Port in South Korea on June 26 and then began technical trial voyage.

The biofuel used in this operation is ISCC-EU certified blend of 30% organic resources derived from biomass and mineral oil (B30).

According to MOL, this fuel is expected to reduce CO2 emissions during navigation by approximately 30% compared to conventional fossil fuels.

The shipping company said the low-carbon attributes of this voyage will be tradable as certificates through its marine transport carbon inset program, Blue Action Net-Zero Alliance, which revolves around a vision to accomplish net zero operations by ‘enhancing’ low-emission marine transportation services using alternative fuels.

Japanese shipping giant unpacks carbon insetting program to slash GHG emissions

Business Developments & Projects

The launching of the program followed the February 2024 introduction of a carbon insetting pilot and the platform was subsequently developed with MOL’s partner, the Netherlands-headquartered 123Carbon.

The pilot encompassed tokenizing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions from a net zero voyage done jointly with Canada’s methanol supplier Methanex Corporation in February 2023. At the same time, it saw MOL becoming the ‘first’ shipping player in the Asia-Pacific to issue environmental attributes certificates (EACs).

Earlier this year, MOL also completed biofuel bunkering on its Capesize bulk carrier, for an estimated 750 tons of CO2 emission reduction.

Specifically, the 2012-built Midnight Dream was bunkered with a biodiesel-blended marine fuel in Singapore in March 2025, initiating MOL’s first biofuel utilization in collaboration with Australian mining company BHP.