Norden conducts first US biofuel journey in ‘measured’ step toward cleaner shipping

Denmark-based maritime transportation player Norden has completed its inaugural biofuel voyage out of the United States, marking the next step in the company’s ambition of supporting a wider application of this clean energy source in shipping.

As disclosed, the operation was conducted together with Norden’s partner, French renewable energy producer Albioma.

The ISCC/EU-certified B24 biofuel blend, which is a combination of 24% biofuel and 76% very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO), was bunkered at the Port of Houston, Texas, before loading 30,000 metric tonnes of wood pellets in the town of Mobile, Alabama.

The biofuel was used on a journey to the island of Réunion, a department of France situated in the Indian Ocean, where Albioma’s pellets were discharged, according to Norden.

Reflecting on this development, Mikkel Marconi, Commercial Lead Biofuel at NORDEN, has highlighted that: “Until now, we have not been able to source biofuel in the US. With a new bunker collaboration, we are now able to further accelerate our ambition to lower our customers’ supply chain emissions in the here and now in a new region.”

Norden, which has its headquarters in Denmark’s capital city of Copenhagen, has been a player within the biofuel sphere since 2018, when the company reportedly marked its first-ever commercial 100% biofuel voyage.

Ever since, Norden has made numerous investments in biofuels, with the belief that this alternative energy source plays an increasingly important role in decarbonizing shipping as the industry sails toward the 2050 net-zero target. In fact, many marine biofuels have been estimated to enable a reduction in well-to-wake emissions by more than 70%, depending on the feedstock used and conversion processes applied.

Back in 2023, in a bid to ‘strengthen’ its future supply of renewable fuels, Norden made a strategic investment in the biofuel scale-up MASH Makes, having bought a minority stake in the company. In April this year, the two wrapped up what was described as the “world’s first” commercial vessel trial using biofuel produced from a carbon-negative process.

As informed, the trial entailed using a B20 biofuel blend in the auxiliary engine of a ship operating on a round-trip voyage from Singapore to Brazil. Per MASH Makes, the results of the experiment pointed to a practical path for shipowners to cut emissions without waiting for new infrastructure.

In 2024, Norden also reportedly launched a book and claim solution, aimed at allocating emissions made on the company’s biofuel journeys to users with a maritime supply chain, even when biofuels are not physically available to be bunkered on a specific trading route or voyage.