Blog Article - Jul 27, 2023
TotalEnergies, in partnership with CNBC Catalyst, developed ‘The Roads to Carbon Neutral’ programme to explore the steps companies, governments and society must take together to mitigate climate change. This series investigates the key solutions and innovations that are set to make the clean energy transition a reality and help achieve a net-zero future.
Now in its third season, the fourth episode zoomed in on TotalEnergies Marine Fuels and our efforts to help solve the decarbonization challenge of the shipping industry, particularly in Singapore.
The crew zeroed in on our LNG and new marine fuels trader, Xin-fang Chua, as she explained how TotalEnergies Marine Fuels is developing a suite of alternative low-carbon fuels that will provide short- and long-term solutions to a broad spectrum of our shipping clients.
“Singapore is coming together to tackle climate change and the sea is somewhere where I can contribute,” Xin-fang said in the film showcasing TotalEnergies Marine Fuels’ clean fuel plans, as part of the Roads to Carbon Neutral series.
“At its core, Singapore is a maritime nation. Singapore sells about one fifth of the world’s marine fuels. It is one of our biggest decarbonization challenges,” she says. “I’m championing and selling alternative fuels. They are vital in helping to reduce marine transport emissions.”
FROM SINGAPORE TO EUROPE AND BACK
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels has worked hard in recent years to develop several low-carbon fuels at major ports and this work is now bearing fruit.
Last year, we ran a number of biofuel trials in Singapore which led to the commercial offer of our B24 marine biofuel to our customers at large, as well as under a term contract with Hapag Lloyd earlier this year.
We would like to replicate these biofuels successes and have already begun trials in France, thus helping us to fulfil our goal of accelerating biofuels sales in our main hubs by taking advantage of our existing resources especially in France, the Belgo-Dutch ARA hub and Singapore.
Just as our biofuel success is moving westwards to Europe, so we hope to repeat our European LNG bunkering achievements back in Singapore.
Last year, we were the largest LNG marine fuel supplier in Europe.
Our two LNG Bunkering vessels (LNGBVs), Gas Agility in Rotterdam and Gas Vitality in Marseille, have been the engines of our LNG bunkering ambitions, conducting over 140 bunkering operations since 2020. A third newbuild LNGBV, the Brassavola, is due to begin operations in Singapore later this year.
And we are not stopping there, as our commercial teams are developing the supply chains necessary to carry out LNG bunkering other key hubs, such as in Oman and in the United States, home to the fastest-growing LNG production in the world.
THE FUTURE OF FUTURE FUELS
TotalEnergies Marine Fuels strives to remain at the forefront of a rapidly changing global bunker industry as our focus on the next generation of future fuels shows.
We have teams within the entity and in our up-stream production branches that are working on enabling methanol and ammonia production and bunkering, including their green “e” versions, that can accomplish carbon-neutral operations from a full life cycle analysis.
While the industry does not see these fuels being widely commercially available until around 2030, we believe now is the time to start the collaborative R&D, prepare the ground for trials and have the conversations with partners and customers for the eventual launch of such hydrogen-based products. Only in this way can we be pioneers and effective partners in supporting our customers’ energy needs.
“A lot of our customers today are having conversations and engagements with us, as an energy supplier, and I am optimistic that we can support and encourage them with this energy transition,” Xin-fang said in the CNBC film.
“I feel Singaporeans are resilient especially in this uncertain future. But we are really proving ourselves as leaders and pioneers in finding new solutions and innovations,” she concluded.
