The Japanese shipping company Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, known as "K" Line, has announced the signing of a long-term agreement for the supply of bio-LNG (liquefied bio methane, LBM), a carbon-neutral fuel that it has begun to use in its LNG-powered car carrier ships. The company estimates that this supply agreement will reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 60,800 tons of CO₂ equivalent per year.
Bio-LNG is an alternative to conventional liquefied natural gas that is produced from organic waste, including livestock manure and food scraps. According to the shipping company, it has been confirmed that the GHG emissions generated throughout the entire life cycle of the product, from its manufacture to its consumption, are lower than those produced by traditional fuels. One of the main advantages of this fuel is its direct compatibility with existing LNG-powered ships, with no need for technical modifications, which facilitates its immediate adoption. "K" Line plans to use it in its current fleet of car carriers powered by this type of fuel.
The bio-LNG that the Japanese shipping company has begun to use has ISCC-EU certification, a program that verifies that sustainable fuels derived from biomass and waste meet the legal requirements of the European Union. This certification ensures that sustainability standards and greenhouse gas emission reduction targets set in the EU's Renewable Energy Directive III (RED III) are met. Through the proactive adoption of internationally certified fuels, "K" Line aims to contribute to the decarbonization of global supply chains in collaboration with cargo owners and other sector stakeholders.
The decision is part of the company's long-term environmental strategy, defined in its "K" Line Environmental Vision 2050 – Blue Seas for the Future, a set of guidelines established in 2015 and revised in 2020 that aims to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050. As part of this roadmap, the shipping company has been working on the introduction and operation of LNG-powered ships, and the continuous use of bio-LNG is one of the key initiatives to achieve this goal. The action plan also includes the future incorporation of zero-emission fuels such as ammonia and hydrogen, as well as synthetic fuels and other carbon-neutral alternatives.
"K" Line's commitment to bio-LNG comes at a time when the international maritime transport sector is undergoing an accelerated energy transition process, driven by increasingly stringent environmental regulations and the demand from shippers for logistics solutions with a smaller carbon footprint. Car carriers, which are responsible for the global transport of automobiles and other vehicles, represent a significant segment of global maritime trade, and their decarbonization is considered strategic by the leading shipping companies in the industry.