Biofuel bunkering trial shows 83% reduction in emissions: The Global Center for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD) has tested a new oil biofuel blend that reduced carbon emissions by 83%, Reuters reports. The biofuel, which was used on an LPG carrier with dual-fuel capabilities, was made up of marine gasoil blended with 30% hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), and was derived from waste and residues. The trial is the third of five supply chain bunkering trials as part of the center’s USD 18 mn project to test alternative biofuels to reduce carbon emissions.

Hefty costs + infrastructural complications are keeping US firms from automating ports : Ports in the US are lagging behind counterparts elsewhere in the world, such as Shanghai’s Yangshan Port and the Netherlands’ Port of Rotterdam, who are rapidly adopting automation to handle cargo, the Wall Street Journal writes. While the US would benefit from deploying automation to process cargo faster and keep its supply chain competitive, the country’s ports are facing hurdles like space constraints and awkwardly shaped terminals, WSJ writes. Port operators have also shown little enthusiasm for automation, saying they can hardly afford the bns of USD needed to automate operations. “You’re going to give up a lot of terminal space while you are under construction,” one port official said. “You’re going to have to sustain that loss of revenue for a period of time and getting the return on investment seems pretty difficult.”

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