IN an Australian-first, a grain vessel due to set sail from the CBH Group Albany Grain Terminal on Sunday will be powered by biofuel.
CBH has partnered with leading dry bulk operator Oldendorff Carriers to ship 30,000 tonnes of sustainably certified malting barley to Vietnam aboard a vessel which will be bunkered with a biofuel blend, supplied by integrated energy company bp.
That blend is estimated to produce about 15 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions for this journey than conventional fossil fuels.
CBH chief marketing and trading officer Jason Craig said the co-operative was proud to be pioneering efforts, alongside two of its global partners, to explore ways to reduce its carbon footprint along the supply chain.
"Customers across the world are increasingly seeking to source sustainable products, including sustainable grain," Mr Craig said.
"It is our role, as Australia's leading grain exporter, to take the necessary steps to lower carbon emissions along our supply chain.
"Biofuel is one low-carbon option that could be part of the solution to reducing emissions in the shipping industry."
For more on this story, see next week's edition of Farm Weekly.
