GEMOLOGY

Gem Diamonds finds 169.15 carat stone in Lesotho

By Staff Writer April 22, 2024 

The 169.15 carat diamond. Credit: Gem Diamonds

Africa-focused miner Gem Diamonds (LON: GEMD) has recovered a 169.15 carat Type II white diamond from its Letšeng mine, in Lesotho.

This is the fourth greater than 100 carat diamond unearthed this year at the operation, the company said.

Prior recoveries include a 113 carat and a 295 carat white Type II diamonds, as well as a 139 carat boart diamond.

Type IIa diamonds are the most valued and collectable precious gemstones, as they contain either very little or no nitrogen atoms in their crystal structure. Boart diamonds are stones of low quality that is used in powder form as abrasive.

The prolific Letšeng mine is one of the world’s ten largest diamond operations by revenue. At 3,100 metres above sea level, it is also one of the world’s most elevated diamond mines.

ABB, Boliden, and Epiroc create first battery-electric trolley underground truck system

Images show the battery-electric trolley truck, going up ramp in the 800 meter long test track in Rävliden, Kristineberg mine.

Boliden, Epiroc and ABB make first battery-electric trolley truck system for underground mining a reality


22 de abril de 2024
Boliden, Epiroc and ABB have passed a new technology milestone by successfully deploying the first fully battery-electric trolley truck system on an 800 meter long underground mine test track in Sweden, with a 13% incline. This means the mining industry is a step closer to realizing the all-electric mine of the future, with sustainable, productive operations and improved working conditions.

“Over the past three years, we have worked in close collaboration with the ABB and Epiroc teams to bring the electric mine of the future one step closer,” said Peter Bergman, General Manager Boliden Area, Boliden. “The most important thing for us is of course that the technology works in our own operations, but we also see added value that we together with our partners can drive technology development so that the system can be used in other mines. We are proud to have taken this concept to a live installment.”

The achievement of the collaboration in Boliden’s Kristineberg mine in northern Sweden marks a critical moment for the mining industry as it continues to face rising pressures to balance increased outputs of critical minerals and metals with lower carbon emissions and energy usage. Demand for minerals critical to society’s clean-energy transformation is predicted to increase between 1.5 to seven times by 2030, according to the IEA1, making electrification a priority.

Boliden intends to implement a full scale, autonomous electric-trolley system in the Rävliden mine, a satellite orebody and extension of the Kristineberg mine, and has placed an order for four (4) Minetruck MT42 SG Trolley trucks from Epiroc. The total distance will be 5 km at a depth of 750 meters. Once achieved, not only will Rävliden have significant less carbon emissions compared to a mine using conventional technology, it will also be part of setting a standard for new mines.



In tandem with reducing carbon emissions, the electrification of mining also promises improved health and safety for the industry’s workforce. By deploying this system, the collaboration partners aim to prove that the underground working environment can be significantly improved, with less emissions, noise, and vibration throughout while reducing the total cost per ton.

Each partner has provided a unique set of expertise to this development process, clearly demonstrating the value of industry collaboration. Epiroc has added dynamic charging to its proven battery-electric Minetruck MT42 SG and battery system, and the trolley system is equipped with ABB’s DC converter, HES880 inverter and AMXE motors to enhance the power. The mine truck features a trolley pantograph connected to an overhead catenary line, a concept which is highly suitable for long haul ramps.

The electric trolley line gives additional assistance to the battery-electric mine truck on the most demanding stretches up-ramp while fully loaded, enabling further reach and battery regeneration during drift, which increases productivity drastically for a mining operation.


ABB created the infrastructure from grid to wheel, including the electric trolley system design and the rectifier substation for the test track. The definition of standards and vehicle interface was jointly developed by the project partners.

“Together, in close partnerships we can accelerate the transformation and reach a steep curve in mining technology innovation like we have done in Kristineberg,” said Wayne Symes, President Epiroc Underground division. “In a short space of time, we have implemented and delivered technology to not only reduce CO2 emissions, but substantially extend travel distance for battery-electric driven vehicles on heavy ramp haulage, reduce operating costs, and improve the health and safety of mining environments.”

“We are passionate and committed to creating real progress for the mining industry” said Max Luedtke, Global Business Line Manager Mining, ABB. “Seeing the industry’s first battery electric trolley truck system live is not only the result of a collaborative achievement with Boliden and Epiroc, but it is truly an industry milestone. We launched the ABB eMine™ concept of methods and solutions to bring electrification to the whole mining operation, from the grid to the wheel, and the installation at Kristineberg demonstrates the power of these capabilities.”

This project is supported by funding from the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova, Sustainable industry, and will contribute to Boliden’s vision to be the most climate friendly and respected metals provider in the world.

1 Mining and materials production – Energy Technology Perspectives 2023 – Analysis - IEA

• Minetruck MT42 SG Trolley - product page
• Minetruck MT42 SG Trolley - press images

Chinese nickel billionaire boosts Australian miner in Indonesia

Bloomberg News | April 22, 2024 | 

Credit: Nickel Industries

A little-known Australian company is becoming the Western face of a Chinese nickel behemoth.


In under a decade, Nickel Industries Ltd. has gone from a relatively small miner to the world’s sixth-biggest producer of a metal used in products from batteries to stainless steel. Riding a Chinese-led boom in Indonesia’s nickel sector, it owns or has stakes in five plants in the country that churn out more of the commodity than household names like BHP Group Ltd.

Behind the company’s success is Tsingshan Holding Group Co., the world’s largest nickel and stainless steelmaker and Nickel Industries’s biggest shareholder. The closely-held conglomerate owned by billionaire Xiang Guangda has built smelters for the Australian company at a speed and cost that’s given it an advantage over competitors, but which could also pose risks for the firm going forward.

In return, Nickel Industries has given Tsingshan — which is heavily dependent on the Chinese market — access to Western investors, a means to recycle the capital it has poured into Indonesia and a potential back door to the US electric vehicle market.

“They realize that they have to be able to sell into other markets,” said Angela Durrant, principal base metals analyst at consultancy CRU Group. “They want to be able to say it’s not just a Chinese product that’s coming out.”

Officials at Tsingshan didn’t respond to a request for comments.

For Nickel Industries, the tie-up is a double-edged sword. While Chinese firms led by Tsingshan dominate nickel processing in Indonesia, winning a reputation for building and operating plants at an extremely low cost, some Western corporations and investors are wary of becoming dependent on them.

Beyond the geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington, many firms still see Indonesia, which accounts for more than half of global nickel output, as a risky place to invest. That’s due in part to a history of foreign investors losing control of assets or being hit by export bans for raw commodities — a feature of departing President Joko Widodo’s administration.


There are also concerns about the widespread use of coal, environmental damage caused by mining and deadly industrial accidents that have raised questions about the sector’s shortcuts.

“There’s been skepticism because we’ve got the double whammy of being in Indonesia with a Chinese partner,” Nickel Industries’ chief executive officer Justin Werner said in an interview last month.

But without Tsingshan, Nickel Industries would not exist in its current form. The Sydney-based firm began its life in Indonesia mining what was then a remote nickel deposit on Sulawesi, east of Borneo, but was forced to stop operations when the government banned the export of raw ore in 2014 to bolster its domestic smelting industry.

At the time, Tsingshan was firing up some of its first Indonesian nickel smelters just a few miles away but was having difficulty buying stakes in nearby mines, according to a person close to the company. The Chinese giant started to purchase the Australian firm’s ore — before taking a 20% stake for $26 million in 2018.

“That was really the genesis of the relationship,” Werner said. “It wasn’t our great planning, just coincidence.”

Nickel Industries used those funds and others to buy a 25% interest in two nickel smelting lines that Tsingshan was building in Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park, known as IMIP, on the island of Sulawesi. The purpose-built site, the brainchild of Xiang, would eventually come to symbolize Indonesia’s nickel boom — the good and the bad.


Known in Chinese commodity circles as “Big Shot” for his high-risk tolerance, Xiang rose to broader prominence in 2022 for nearly breaking the London Metal Exchange after being squeezed out of a large bearish bet on nickel prices.

But arguably his boldest move was in Indonesia. Since arriving 15 years ago, Tsingshan has spearheaded a more than $30 billion wave of Chinese investment in the country’s nickel smelting sector. That effort has centered on huge industrial parks like IMIP, which have help Indonesian exports surge, and the construction of high-pressure acid leach plants that produce a form of nickel coveted by the battery sector.

The production boost triggered a plunge in nickel prices last year, forcing some miners in other countries to weigh shutting for good. But thanks to economies of scale alongside cheap labor and coal, smelters within parks like IMIP have kept running.

Those include four plants now majority-owned by Nickel Industries that were built by Tsingshan. The conglomerate has used the Australian firm to diversify the investors involved in the industrial park and reduce its concentration of risk there, according to a person familiar with its thinking, while retaining influence by holding 23% of the company’s shares.

“It is a one-sided relationship in a way but I think it’s what they have to do to operate in Indonesia,” CRU analyst Durrant said.

And while the Chinese tie-up has been a blessing for Nickel Industries so far, there’s clear downside risk. Since its founding, IMIP has been the site of a number of industrial accidents.

A fire at a Tsingshan-owned nickel-processing facility there in December killed 21 people and prompted the government to demand that China improve its smelting operations in the country. That incident remains under investigation.
US market access

Tsingshan’s involvement is also a potential hurdle to Nickel Industries’s access to a rapidly growing market: the US. The Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act offers generous subsidies to EVs, provided they contain a limited proportion of components originating from Chinese firms.

The rules around joint ventures remain unclear, and Nickel Industries’s product could still fall on the wrong side of the legislation. CEO Werner said he hopes a new high pressure acid leach plant can help change that when it comes on line next year, after which Tsingshan will sell some of its stake to a new investor to meet IRA requirements.

The building of the HPAL — by Tsingshan — has only just begun. There isn’t even a paved road to the site. But after almost a decade in partnership with the Chinese firm, Werner signaled confidence.

“Everything the Chinese have said they’d do, they’ve delivered,” he said.

(By Eddie Spence and Alfred Cang)

Marxists.orgwww.marxists.org/archive/bukharin/works/1917/imperial/

Nikolai Bukharin: Imperialism and World Economy

Lenin. Written: 1915 and 1917. Source: Nikolai Bukharin "Imperialism and World Economy", Monthly Review Press, no date. First Published in English: Nikolai ...

Zijin’s Congo mine shipments returned due to radiation levels, ministry says

Reuters | April 22, 2024 |

Zijin’s operations in DRC. Credit: Zijin Mining Group

Mineral shipments from a Congolese copper and cobalt operation majority-owned by China’s Zijin Mining Group Co. Ltd were returned due to overly high radiation levels, the Congolese mines minister said in a letter seen by Reuters on Monday.


The letter, dated April 12, informed the COMMUS project in which Zijin owns a 72% stake that the ministry had suspended its licence while it investigated the issue.

“I am informed of the return of your shipments that exported … mineral products to South Africa on the grounds that their radioactivity content exceeds the regulatory threshold,” Mines Minister Antoinette N’Samba Kalambayi said in the letter.

Zijin did not immediately respond to emailed questions. It was not possible to reach COMMUS for comment. The letter did not make clear what was in the shipments.

COMMUS, based near Democratic Republic of Congo’s southern city of Kolwezi, produced 129,000 tonnes of copper and about 2,200 tons of cobalt in 2023, ministry data shows.

A separate internal directive by the ministry, seen by Reuters, outlined what steps its investigation would take. These include verifying COMMUS’ compliance with export procedures and assessing what risks the presence of radioactive materials might have posed to the export chain.

Congo is the world’s third-largest copper producer and its top producer of cobalt, a key component in batteries for electric vehicles and mobile phones.

(By Ange Kasongo, Felix Njini and Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Alison Williams)

BAD MINER

Anglo American to oppose appeal in Zambia lead poisoning case

Bloomberg News | April 22, 2024 | 

Kabwe, Zambia. (Reference image by Don Pugh, Flickr.)

Anglo American Plc said it will oppose any court case over allegations that a Zambian mine in which the company held a stake poisoned tens of thousands of people with lead after the claimants were allowed to appeal a previous ruling.


The Johannesburg High Court on April 19 granted the plaintiffs from the Zambian town of Kabwe the right to appeal a December dismissal of their application, the London-listed miner said in a statement on Monday. Anglo “has stated from the outset that this claim is entirely misconceived,” it said.

Last week’s decision “does not undermine” the earlier judgment and simply recognizes that an appeal to another court “is a viable option for the claimants to follow in the South African legal process,” the company said.

Anglo denies responsibility for the lead poisoning related to the Broken Hill mine. The company says it only held a minority interest in the operator of that mine from 1925 until 1974, when it was nationalized. Lead poisoning can cause health problems ranging from learning difficulties to infertility, brain damage and, in some cases, death.

The company’s arguments “indicate a shocking indifference to the tremendous and ongoing harm caused to generations of the Kabwe communities by its operations,” the plaintiffs’ law firms — Mbuyisa Moleele and Leigh Day — said in a joint statement on Monday, describing the new ruling as a “crucial step towards achieving justice.”

The group lawsuit, filed in South Africa because Anglo was headquartered in Johannesburg when it held the Broken Hill stake, has been brought by 12 individuals from Kabwe. The law firms for those plaintiffs have said they could represent more than 140,000 people.

(By William Clowes)

G Mining buys Reunion’s Oko West gold project in Guyana for $638 million

Colin McClelland | April 22, 2024 |

The Oko West project is located in the Cuyuni mining district, some 95 km west of Georgetown. Credit: Reunion Gold

Montreal-based G Mining Ventures (TSX: GMIN) is expanding its South American holdings by taking over Reunion Gold’s (TSXV: RGD) Oko West gold project in Guyana in an all-share deal valued at C$875 million ($638m).


The deal is a 29% premium to Friday’s closing share prices. G Mining shareholders will hold 57% of the new entity, leaving Reunion with 43%, the firms said on Monday. The new shares issued will amount to a 4-to-1 share consolidation of the combined companies.

G Mining plans to use $480 million in near-term free cash flowfrom the permitted and construction-ready Tocantinzinho gold project in Para state, Brazil, to advance Oko West through technical studies to a construction decision. Tocantinzinho is to start annual commercial production of about 200,000 oz. in this year’s second half, the company said. It also announced $50 million in equity financing for the new G Mining.

“We are well-positioned to accelerate value creation at Oko West leveraging our unique expertise in building and operating mines on schedule and on budget in the Guiana Shield,” G Mining CEO Louis-Pierre Gignac said in a release. “We look forward to continuing to advance our ‘Buy, build, operate strategy.”

G Mining bought Tocantinzinho in late 2021 from Eldorado Gold (TSX: ELD; NYSE: EGO) for $115 million after Eldorado had invested $90 million in the project.

Map of Oko West project courtesy of Reunion Gold.

Spinoff

G Mining and Reunion will also spin off Reunion’s assets besides Oko West into a new company. Ownership will be split 19.9% to G Mining for C$15 million and 80.1% for Reunion under the deal.

The spinoff’s focus will be on acquiring and exploring gold mineral properties in Guyana outside of a 20-km area of interest surrounding Oko West, and in Suriname, the companies said. The Marowijne belt in Suriname holds Iamgold’s (TSX: IMG; NYSE: IAG) Rosebel and Newmont’s (NYSE: NEM; TSX: NGT) Merian gold mines. Other deposits including Saramacca, Overman, Benzdorp and Lely are being evaluated, Reunion says.

An updated resource in February at Oko West, about 95 km southwest of the capital, Georgetown, showed 64.6 million indicated tonnes grading 2.05 grams gold per tonne for 4.3 million oz. and 19.2 million inferred tonnes grading 2.59 grams gold for 1.6 million ounces.

At Oko West, Reunion has been working on its environmental and social impact assessment and expected to complete a preliminary economic assessment by June, it said last month, adding that a feasibility study and environmental permit applications would precede a construction decision by next year’s second quarter.

“The transaction significantly de-risks the advancement of Oko West given the financial strength, free cash flow and development capabilities that G Mining brings to the table,” Reunion CEO Rick Howes said in the release. “This is a great outcome for the country of Guyana.”

Gignac family

G Mining, founded by the Gignac family, has a history in the region. Louis Gignac-led Cambior (taken over by Iamgold in 2006) to build its first South American operation in Guyana in the early 1990s. The family’s G Mining Services built Newmont’s Merian gold mine in Suriname ahead of schedule and under budget, it said.

London-based resources investment adviser La Mancha Investments plans to put as much as $45 million into the new G Mining to hold an 18.7% stake, the companies said.

Royalty and streaming company Franco-Nevada (TSX: FNV; NYSE: FNV) is buying $25 million of shares in G Mining, although its holding will fall to 7.2% from 9.9%.

The deal requires two-thirds of approval from both sets of shareholders. Some 29% of Reunion shareholders pledged support for the deal including directors, senior management, La Mancha, and Toronto-based mining investor Dundee (TSX: DC.A). A group of 60% of G Mining shareholders agreed to support, including its three largest shareholders, La Mancha, Eldorado Gold and Franco-Nevada.

Reunion’s stock rose 8% on Monday afternoon in Toronto to C$0.54 apiece, valuing the company at C$663.9 million. They’ve traded in a 52-week range of C$0.32 to C$0.61.

Shares in G Mining fell nearly 14% to C$1.96 apiece, valuing the company at C$874.2 million ($638.3m). They’ve traded in a 52-week range of C$1.67 to C$2.34.

Adriatic Metals takes over as operator of Bosnian silver mine

Cecilia Jamasmie | April 22, 2024 

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The Rupice deposit is an advanced exploration project, part of the Vares silver mine concession. (Image courtesy of Adriatic Metals.)

Adriatic Metals (ASX: ADT) (LON: ADT1) is taking over as the operator of the Rupice deposit development, which is part of the company’s Vares silver mine in central Bosnia.


Local company Nova Mining and Construction has carried out the Rupice deposit development since 2022. In June last year, Adriatic decided to implement an accelerated development action plan, onboarding experienced international operators to “improve productivity levels”. Adriatic said the contractor did not meet contractual expectations.

The miner has now terminated the services contract with Nova and the parties inked a settlement and termination agreement that will allow Adriatic to operate the mine upon completion.

The miner noted that since implementing the accelerated development action plan, underground quarterly development at Rupee has increased by 71%.

The deposit is part of the company’s recently opened Vares silver mine, the first new mining operation to open in Europe in over a decade.

“It is the opportune time for us to transition to mining owner-operator,” Adriatic’s managing director and CEO, Paul Cronin, said in the statement.

“The Vares Project is expected to be one of the lowest-cost silver producers globally. Our focus remains on driving down mining costs further through enhanced operational efficiencies, rigorous cost management and optimized procurement processes,” Cronin said.

Shares in the company jumped on the announcement, closing 5.35% higher in Sydney to A$4.53 a piece and up over 6% in London mid-afternoon, trading at 232.75p each. Adriatic Metals has a market capitalization of £716.42 million ($883 million).

Before reaching commercial production, the Vares project contributed to 25% of Bosnian 2022 foreign direct investment and is expected to account for 2% of the country’s GDP during operations.

About 27% of the mine’s employees are women, Adriatic noted, which exceeds the global mining workforce average of 15%, according to a 2020 World Bank report. It also surpasses the approximately 10% representation in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

MOL Plans First Japanese Installation of Carbon Capture/Scrubber System

The 74,900 dwt tanker will be the first Japanese vessel commercially fitted with a CO2 capture system (MOL)

PUBLISHED APR 22, 2024 7:33 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

 

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has decided to equip one of its LR1 product tankers with a combination system that both captures a portion of the CO2 emissions from the exhaust as well as acts as a SOx scrubber. The system, which is being supplied by the Netherlands-based Value Maritime, will be the first commercial installation of a CO2 capture system on a Japanese vessel as well as the first LR1 tanker and largest vessel to employ the Filtree System.

The installation will take before the end of 2024 on the 2015-built tanker Nexus Victoria. Registered in the Isle of Man, the vessel is a 74,900 dwt tanker managed by Synergy Maritime. It was built in Japan and runs with a single two-stroke six-cylinder diesel engine from Mitsui Engineering.

A 15 MW Filtree system was selected for the vessel that will capture the CO2 from the exhaust by spraying an amine-based solution. It is expected to recover up to 10 percent of CO2 from the exhaust emission. The CO2 remains suspended in the solution which is stored in tanks on the vessel and offloaded in port. It can be recaptured from a heating process and then MOL reports supplied to greenhouses, synthetic fuel companies, and other end users. The amine solution can be reused on the vessel.

“This system is noteworthy as an initiative to promote decarbonization of existing vessels, which are difficult to convert to next-generation fuels,” said Hiroyoshi Kubo, Executive Officer for the Tanker Unit of MOL. 

In addition to the carbon capture the system also performs a more traditional role as a SOx scrubber. MOL expects it will remove 99 percent of sulfur oxides and particulate matter contained in the exhaust.

Laurens Visser, Commercial Manager for Value Maritime remarked, “Hopefully this is the first of many Japanese clients that we can support in achieving decarbonization initiatives.” 

MOL and Value Maritime report they will continue working toward the realization of a carbon-neutral society by reducing GHG emissions from vessels and building a CO2 capture value chain. Value Maritime plans to also collaborate further with other product tanker companies in the Asian market and further expand its carbon logistics services onshore in the region.

Value Maritime launched a sister company, Value Carbon, which is designed to offer clients end-to-end solutions. The focus is on locations where captured carbon is best handled, like bunker ports says the company, and helping to realize the most efficient way to utilize the carbon at the lowest cost per tonne. They look to address issues such as those outlined in a recent report commissioned by Singapore’s Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonization in collaboration with Lloyd’s Register and ARUP, that found a critical need to define a clear pathway to offload, utilize, and/or store CO2. The lack of port infrastructure was cited as a major hurdle for CO2 capture aboard ships.

Eastern Pacific Shipping in February 2023 installed onboard its MR tanker Pacific Cobalt a first-of-its-kind fully integrated carbon capture solution developed by Value Maritime. At the time they reported the system would be capable of capturing up to 40 percent of CO2 emissions from the vessel’s main and auxiliary engines as well as 99 percent of SOx emissions. Ardmore Shipping in September 2023 also began fitting the first of nine systems aboard its tankers at a shipyard in China.

After initially believing carbon capture would be best for land-based emitters, the shipping industry is showing increasing interest in the technology. It could become a key tool in addressing the emissions of the in-service fleet extending the life and financial performance of these vessels.

 

DNV Assumes Full Ownership of Ocean Ecology Following Åkerblå Acquisition

PUBLISHED APR 22, 2024 11:50 AM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

[By: DNV]

DNV, the independent assurance and risk management provider, has become the sole owner of Ocean Ecology, solidifying its position in the aquaculture and biodiversity sector. This follows DNV’s earlier acquisition of Åkerblå, the previous majority shareholder of Ocean Ecology.

Established in 2013, Ocean Ecology is a leading UK provider of marine environmental consultancy, technical and advisory services to businesses operating in the blue economy. The company has established itself as a trusted partner for projects ranging from coastal and offshore zones to feed into the Environmental Impact Assessment process, monitoring programmes and applied research.

In March 2021, the Åkerblå Group acquired a majority shareholding in Ocean Ecology, setting the stage for accelerated growth and expansion. Following DNV’s acquisition of Åkerblå in 2023, an agreement was reached, leading to DNV’s full ownership of Ocean Ecology.

Ocean Ecology’s expertise spans a wide range of marine ecological survey and consultancy services, catering to the increasing demand in marine biodiversity and aquaculture services. With a team of 98 subject matter experts, Ocean Ecology is poised to accelerate DNV’s ambition to build an aquaculture powerhouse.

The growing demand for environmental services reflects a heightened awareness of biodiversity risks within the aquaculture sector. As the industry grapples with evolving sustainability standards, the need for robust environmental solutions to mitigate potential ecological impacts is increasing.

By offering tailored solutions that integrate biodiversity considerations into operational strategies, DNV enables operators to navigate complex regulatory landscapes while fostering environmental stewardship and resilience in ocean-based industries.

Thomas Vogth-Eriksen, Global Aquaculture Director Supply Chain & Product Assurance at DNV said: “We are excited to welcome Ocean Ecology’s team to DNV. Their deep domain expertise in marine services is an ideal fit that complements our existing aquaculture experience. As regulatory frameworks continue to evolve and stakeholder expectations rise, comprehensive biodiversity assurance services play a pivotal role in facilitating the transition towards more sustainable aquaculture practices.”

Ross Griffin, Technical Director at Ocean Ecology added: “DNV’s leading position in the marine industry provides the ideal platform for the continuation of Ocean Ecology's rapid growth trajectory spanning the full breadth of blue economy sectors, in particular offshore renewables, and aquaculture. Together, we are perfectly positioned to explore new opportunities and drive innovation in marine health and biodiversity assessments.”

"Our investment in Ocean Ecology back in 2021 was a strategic choice for Åkerblå Group, and this became even more relevant after DNV became the sole owner of the company. DNV's stated goal is to become a world leader in environmental services in the blue sector and fish health services in the aquaculture sector. Ocean Ecology provides a solid and important platform for further growth in rapidly increasing industries in the UK sector of the North Sea and the Irish Sea," mentioned Åkerblå CEO, Roger Sørensen.

The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.

 

Peninsula Facilitates B30 Biofuel Supply Deal in Zeebrugge

PUBLISHED APR 22, 2024 12:09 PM BY THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE

 

[By: Peninsula]

Peninsula, the leading independent global marine energy supplier, announces the successful conclusion of the first B30 biofuel supply deal in Zeebrugge, Belgium, in collaboration with the Japanese shipping company, Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK). The deal, which marks a significant milestone in sustainable fuel distribution, saw the delivery of 1,200 metric tons of B30.

The delivery, executed on March 24, 2024, involved the vessel Garnet Leader, a vehicles carrier. Peninsula's New York barge, played the role of ensuring the smooth transportation and delivery of the biofuel to its destination in Zeebrugge.

Kaori Takahashi, General Manager of NYK’s Fuel Group, said: "NYK is proud to collaborate with Peninsula in this pioneering supply of B30 biofuel, which underscores our dedication to environmental sustainability and innovation in the maritime sector. By leveraging sustainable biofuels like B30, we are taking meaningful strides towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions. NYK remains dedicated to driving positive change within the industry while meeting the evolving demands of our customers and stakeholders."

B30 biofuel, a blend comprising 30% ISCC EU certified sustainable UCOME, which is biofuel derived from Used Cooking Oil, offers a promising avenue reducing GHG emissions by 84%, thus mitigating the environmental impact of maritime operations. By using biofuel technology, Peninsula continues to pave the way for a greener future while simultaneously meeting the evolving needs of the shipping industry.

Commenting on this delivery, Peninsula's Head of Biofuels Desk, Nikolas Nikolaidis, stated: "As the maritime industry, along with prominent players like NYK, intensifies their adoption of Sustainable Marine Fuels (SMF), the accessibility of such solutions grows in significance. Peninsula is committed to collaborating closely with our established clients and partners to deliver SMF solutions where demand is highest. Peninsula is broadening its biofuel supply network, positioning itself as the leading physical marine fuel supplier to offer comprehensive biofuel solutions across multiple regions and ports for our customers."

The products and services herein described in this press release are not endorsed by The Maritime Executive.