Netherlands Sets New Biofuel Standard for Maritime Sustainability

The Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute (NEN) has introduced the NEN 7427-1 standard specifically tailored for the utilization of biofuels in the maritime shipping sector. This newly established standard fills the gap for a dedicated specification for biofuels in shipping, complementing the existing ISO 8217 which governs marine fuel quality but was not initially developed with biofuels in mind. NEN 7427-1 sets out quality requirements for FAME (fatty acid methyl esters) and M-FAME (marine FAME) to be blended with marine fuels, facilitating the integration of high-quality biofuels in the maritime industry.

Developed by the collaborative effort of the working group ‘alternative fuels for maritime shipping,’ comprising representatives from Dutch and Belgian petroleum producers, biodiesel producers, and shipping companies, NEN 7427-1 aims to support the maritime sector in achieving international emission reduction goals through the use of sustainable biofuels. The standard is anticipated to be integrated within ISO and CEN in the future, potentially leading to an update of ISO 8217 to incorporate M-FAME, standardizing the use of biofuels in maritime fuel for enhanced consistency and quality industry-wide.

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