Quadrise upbeat on recent bioMSAR fuel testing

The AIM-traded firm said the bioMSAR tests were carried out on its 40kW Cummins diesel engine at Aquafuel Research.

It said bioMSAR blends containing Vertoro’s Crude Sugar Oil (CSO) demonstrated a remarkable reduction in carbon dioxide emissions, surpassing 30%, alongside engine efficiency gains of up to 7%.

Moreover, significant reductions in nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions were seen compared to conventional diesel.

New bioMSAR formulations featuring biofuels with waste-based methyl esters showed carbon dioxide emission reductions exceeding 45%, an engine efficiency increase of up to 7%, and substantial reductions in NOx and CO emissions compared to diesel.

That development, the board said, paved the way for bioMSAR Zero.

Quadrise collaborated with biorefinery specialist Vertoro to create a cost-effective supplement or alternative to glycerine in bioMSAR fuel, as previously announced in the joint development agreement in September 2022.

The testing involved blends of bioMSAR incorporating up to 40% of Vertoro’s CSO as a glycerine replacement.

Results indicated reductions of up to 25% in carbon dioxide emissions and engine efficiency improvements of 6% to 7%, resulting in a total carbon dioxide reduction of over 30%.

Notably, NOx emissions decreased by about 30%, and CO emissions were reduced by over 50%.

In response to the promising findings, further testing of 40% CSO bioMSAR and 40% glycerine-based bioMSAR on a larger medium-speed Wartsila engine at VTT was scheduled for the first half of 2024.

At the same time, testing would continue with CSO in bioMSAR levels exceeding 40% at the Quadrise Research Facility (QRF) and Aquafuel.

Additionally, Quadrise said it was progressing with BTG Bioliquids under the joint development agreement to develop pyrolysis sugars derived from biomass, exploring other partners to supply C5 and C6 sugars on a commercial scale.

In a new development, Quadrise said it also conducted tests incorporating B30 - a marine biofuel comprising 30% methyl esters blended with fuel oil, opening up a potential pathway to bioMSAR Zero.

Initial engine tests at Aquafuel demonstrated well-to-wake carbon dioxide reductions of up to 40% based on carbon intensity, improved diesel engine efficiency by 3% to 7%, and reduced fuel costs.

Additionally, NOx emissions were reduced by 43% to 59%, and CO savings reached 58% to 76%, all with negligible visible smoke.

“A recent joint declaration by major shipping company CEOs at COP28 called for an end date for fossil-fuel only powered newbuild vessels and urged the IMO to create the regulatory conditions to accelerate the transition to green fuels,” chief executive officer Jason Miles noted.

“This reinforces the importance of our bioMSAR programme in helping to secure the energy transition as we look to meet the needs of our current and prospective clients.

“These test results demonstrate that our flexible MSAR technology platform can produce fuels which can be marketed at scale to the marine and industrial sectors using existing bunkering infrastructure.”

Miles said that would aid the sectors in meeting their climate targets while maintaining vessel operating life.

“Quadrise and our commercial partners are excited by these results and we look forward to progressing the testing programme to the next stages, with the intention upon successful testing to offer our first fossil-free bioMSAR Zero product at commercial scale in advance of 2030.”

At 1434 GMT, shares in Quadrise were up 26.86% at 3.07p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.