NYK Conducts Long-Term Trial Use for Full-Scale Introduction of Biofuels

Comprehensively Verifying Safety and Supply Chain

Dec. 27, 2023

Starting in fiscal 2024, NYK will conduct full-scale trials of long-term use of biofuels*, which are considered to have net-zero CO2 emissions, in navigating its existing heavy oil-fired vessels. Moving forward from the previous short-term trials, NYK will comprehensively verify the safety and stable procurement of biofuels when used over a long period. Through this trial, NYK will establish a safe navigation system using biofuels and promote biofuel development to achieve the Group's goal of a 45% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by fiscal 2030 compared to fiscal 2021.

In this trial, NYK will use biofuel continuously for three months on multiple vessel types. After that, NYK will gradually extend biofuel use for a longer period for further validation.

Since fiscal 2019, the NYK Group has conducted short-term biofuel trials on about 10 vessels. While NYK has confirmed the safety of short-term biofuel use, NYK has not verified the impact of biofuels on the ship's main engine, generator, motor, fuel supply system, etc., and the quality of biofuels after a certain storage period. NYK also needed to ensure the stability of biofuel procurement when used in more vessels.

NYK announced the NYK Group ESG Story 2023 on November 6, declaring a new target to reduce the NYK Group's GHG emissions by 45%** from the fiscal 2021 level by fiscal 2030. NYK will promote this trial to achieve the goal.

* Biofuels are produced from biological sources (biomass), such as waste cooking oil, and are considered to have net-zero CO2 emissions during combustion. Biofuels, also usable in heavy oil-fired engines, are one of the critical solutions to reducing GHG emissions during the transition from heavy oil to zero-emission fuels.

** Reduction ratio on absolute corporate emissions for scope 1 and 2.

On March 10, 2023, the NYK Group released its medium-term management plan, "Sail Green, Drive Transformations 2026 - A Passion for Planetary Wellbeing." The NYK Group is promoting growth strategies with ESG at the core, based on the Group's mission statement of "Bringing value to life" and a new corporate vision for 2030, which reads, "we go beyond the scope of a comprehensive global logistics enterprise to co-create value required for the future by advancing our core business and growing new ones."


Frontier Jacaranda, a bulk carrier that conducted a short trial of biofuels in 2021.   Image by NYK Group.

NYK has established "Sail GREEN" as the company's brand to emphasize NYK's efforts to reduce GHG emissions through the transport of goods and contribute to the eco-friendly supply chains of customers, regardless of the mode of transport (e.g., by sea or land, through terminals, etc.). Implementation of this trial is an initiative of that brand.

NYK Group, press release