Cashew Waste Enters Singapore Bunker Mix
Key Takeaways
- •Olam Agri and Vitol Bunkers completed what they describe as Singapore's first bunker supply of VLSFO co-processed with cashew nutshell liquid, delivering 246.5 tonnes of fuel to the 82,000 dwt kamsarmax Scion Mathilda, including 34.5 tonnes of the co-processed product.
- •The co-processed fuel had a greenhouse gas intensity of 2.02 gCO2eq/MJ and delivered savings of at least 120 tonnes of CO2 equivalent compared with conventional VLSFO, with 34.1 tonnes consumed during a voyage from Caofeidian, China to Rotterdam and a ballast leg to Barcarena, Brazil.
- •Co-processing CNSL within the refinery stream produces fuel conforming to RMG380 VLSFO grade with the same chemical composition and quality as conventional fuel, avoiding the sludging, clogged filters and injector problems previously associated with directly blended CNSL.
- •Vitol launched its co-processed VLSFO offering in 2025, initially producing the fuel at its 100,000 barrels-per-day refinery in Fujairah, where sustainable feedstocks are introduced during refining rather than blended into finished bunker product.
- •Singapore, the world's largest bunkering hub, recorded 1.95 million tonnes of alternative marine fuel sales in 2025, up from 1.35 million tonnes a year earlier, with Vitol Bunkers ranking among the port's five largest biofuel suppliers.
Olam Agri and Vitol Bunkers have carried out what they describe as Singapore’s first bunker supply of VLSFO co-processed with cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL), putting an agricultural waste stream to work as a lower-carbon marine fuel.
Vitol supplied 246.5 tonnes of fuel to the 82,000 dwt kamsarmax Scion Mathilda, comprising 212 tonnes of conventional VLSFO and 34.5 tonnes of co-processed CNSL VLSFO, with the fuel procured by Olam Agri’s ocean freight business.
The companies said 34.1 tonnes of the co-processed fuel was consumed during a voyage from Caofeidian in China to Rotterdam and a subsequent ballast leg to Barcarena, Brazil. The fuel had a greenhouse gas intensity of 2.02 gCO2eq/MJ and delivered savings of at least 120 tonnes of CO2 equivalent compared with conventional VLSFO, without additional onboard handling or treatment.
The use of CNSL is notable after the feedstock came under scrutiny when directly blended into marine fuels. Testing firm CTI-Maritec and marine insurer Skuld previously highlighted cases involving sludging, clogged filters, injector problems and deposits in fuels found to contain high concentrations of CNSL-related phenolic compounds.
Vitol’s approach instead co-processes the cashew by-product within the refinery stream. The resulting fuel conforms to RMG380 VLSFO grade and, according to Olam and Vitol, has the same chemical composition and quality as conventional fuel, removing the need for special onboard treatment or charterparty provisions.
Vitol launched its co-processed VLSFO offering in 2025, initially producing the fuel at the company’s 100,000 barrels-per-day Fujairah refinery. The energy trader said the process allows waste-based and other sustainable feedstocks to be introduced during refining rather than blended into the finished bunker product.
The trial vessel has since changed hands. The 2024-built Scion Mathilda was acquired by Nasdaq-listed Castor Maritime for $41.9m in June and renamed Magic Saturn.
Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering hub, recorded 1.95m tonnes of alternative marine fuel sales in 2025, up from 1.35m tonnes a year earlier. Vitol Bunkers ranked among the port’s five largest biofuel suppliers last year, underscoring how port-scale trials of alternative bunker blends are increasingly being used to test operational compatibility in a market where shipowners and fuel buyers are watching availability, fuel quality and handling requirements closely.
