Used cooking oil is now being turned into an economic resource in Russia. Gazprom Neft has registered the country’s first pilot climate project in the national registry focused on the production of marine biofuel. The feedstock consists of food-service waste and animal fats, while the project is expected to generate more than 1 million carbon units for sale.
The announcement was made on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum. Gazprom Neft CEO Alexander Dyukov said that biofuel produced from recycled cooking oil is already being used in maritime transport. The model delivers a double benefit: waste is diverted from disposal, while ships reduce their carbon footprint.
Serial production of fuel made from cooking fats has been underway since 2023. The technology was developed at Gazprom Neft’s Industrial Innovation Center. The fuel is now being supplied to vessels at Baltic ports and along routes of the Northern Sea Route.
The company is also looking beyond maritime transport. Levan Kadagidze, Director of Gazprom Neft’s Commercial Department, said that an aviation version of the biofuel is currently under development. If the project reaches the industrial stage, aircraft could gain the same decarbonization tool that is already being applied to shipping.
Gazprom Neft views carbon assets as a market-based mechanism. Registration in the national climate project registry gives the company a market instrument for meeting its climate-related KPIs and could improve the competitiveness of Russia’s shipping industry as global emissions requirements become stricter.
Russia’s first fuel-based climate project turns waste from deep fryers into a tradable carbon asset and a potential strategic advantage. In the longer term, the approach could affect the economics of not only maritime transport, but also aviation.
Source: @neftegazchannel
Image: Gazprom Neft
