Business wire is reporting that Rio Tinto and bp have agreed to a one-year trial to use biofuels to help reduce carbon emissions from Rio Tinto’s marine fleet.

The fuel will be trialed on Rio Tinto’s RTM Tasman vessel on a mix of transatlantic and Atlantic-Pacific routes. This will be one of the longest-duration marine biofuel trials to date.

The agreement follows a successful journey on the RTM Tasman after it refueled with biofuel in Rotterdam in March 2022 for the first time and then picked up its first load of the trial at the Iron Ore Co. of Canada’s Sept-Îles port in Quebec in April. All biofuel refueling during the trial will be at Rotterdam.

The trial is using a bp-manufactured B30 biofuel blend composed of 30 percent fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) blended with very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO). This B30 biofuel blend can reduce lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions by up to 26 percent compared to standard marine fuel oil.

FAME is a renewable alternative fuel (biodiesel) largely produced from recycled cooking oils and renewable oil sources. It has physical properties similar to conventional diesel, and requires no modifications to the engine or vessel. The origination and production of the feedstocks used to produce the FAME is certified for its sustainability to internationally recognized standards.

The results will help Rio Tinto study ways to reduce its carbon emissions from its marine fleet and inform its future biofuel strategy.

Rio Tinto head of commercial operations, Laure Baratgin said, “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 decarbonize the maritime industry.

“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.”

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