Green Deal validation programme success: GoodFuels’ biofuels officially validated by TNO
December 16 2022
The Green Deal validation programme for the Dutch Maritime Industry is an initiative of Ministry of Infrastructure and Watermanagement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition to cleaner shipping. It is part of the broader European Green Deal, which aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The Green Deal validation programme is implemented by having maritime businesses validate their sustainable innovations by independent parties – in the Netherlands these are the research institutes TNO and MARIN. In this article we focus on the GoodFuels’ validation by TNO in 2022.
With the Green Deal Validation programme companies can demonstrate that their products or services meet certain sustainability criteria. Because their products are independently and scientifically validated and the results are disseminated EU-wide, the validation scheme also offers great commercial opportunities.
Transparent and reliable
The validation scheme is designed to ensure that the maritime Green Deal is implemented in a transparent and reliable way. By validating and verifying the data, the shipowners and ship operators can ensure that the objectives of the initiative are met and that the maritime sector moves towards a more sustainable future.
The programme, which maritime suppliers can also use in 2023, aims to ensure the quality and reliability of the data needed to assess the product or service. This includes data on greenhouse gas emissions and ship energy efficiency. To ensure that the data collected is reliable, it is validated by independent third parties: TNO and MARIN.
TNO and GoodFuels
TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research), a leading research organization in the Netherlands, is currently validating the biofuels produced by GoodFuels for use in the maritime industry.
TNO specializes in researching sustainable technologies and has a great deal of knowledge and expertise in the field of biofuels. GoodFuels is a company that specializes in the production of biofuels suitable for shipping. Amongst others, the company has developed two biofuels: MDF1-100 (FAME) and MR1-100 (residual). These biofuels are made from waste products and are therefore more sustainable than conventional fuels. Before onboarding the validation scheme, Goodfuels already experimented or worked with, for example, K-Line, AIDA Cruises and Dutch Heavy Lift company Jumbo Shipping (read about it here).
Results
In collaboration with GoodFuels, TNO is almost ready to show the results of their validation. To show that GoodFuels biofuels MDF1-100 (FAME) and MR1-100 (residual) are sustainable alternatives to conventional fuels used in shipping. This will be an important development in the fight against climate change and contributes to the Green Deal objectives of reducing CO2 emissions. These results will also be an important commercial step for GoodFuels, as it gives the company the opportunity to introduce its products to the wider European market in a substantiated way, i.e. with an independent research report to convince as yet sceptical potential clients.
Biofuels - origins and scalability
Both biofuels are made from sustainable feedstocks, such as waste vegetable oils and animal fats. One of their key benefits is their scalability, as they can be used in a variety of ships, including container ships, offshore installation vessels, cruise ships, inland shipping barges, (large) bulk carriers, car carriers and more. Furthermore, shipowners can easily switch to these biofuels without needing to make any major modifications to their vessels.
In addition to their environmental benefits, GoodFuels' biofuels also have positive technical effects. They have been found to improve the efficiency of ships, which can help to reduce fuel consumption and lower operating costs. Last, the biofuels are safe, as they are non-toxic and biodegradable.
According to TNO's validation, the use of GoodFuels' biofuels can help shipowners to significantly reduce their operating expenses (OPEX). This is because the biofuels are more efficient and cost-effective than traditional fossil fuels, which can help to offset the initial investment in switching to these alternative fuels.
Conclusion
Overall, the validation by TNO will bring the shipping industry and maritime supplier GoodFuels a step forward – it helps pave the way for a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly maritime industry. Shipowners who switch to these biofuels can benefit from reduced emissions, improved safety and lower operating costs.
In addition, the role of TNO in the Green Deal validation scheme and the Dutch Maritime Cluster is important for companies that want to show that their sustainable innovations meet the highest standards and contribute to the energy transition.
Want know more? Want to participate in 2023?
Get in touch with the Innovation Managers of Netherlands Maritime Technology (NMT):