The chartered capesize ship used biodiesel produced by converting waste cooking oil from Singapore's food and beverage industry, reducing emissions by around 5%, said the company.

The Frontier Jacaranda was chosen for the trials of the biodiesel blend, which consisted of 7% biofuel and 93% regular fuel.

The company said the trial "was instrumental in verifying the stability of the biofuel in storage and its performance as a fuel".

Anglo American partnered with Singapore firm Alpha Biofuels, which converts waste cooking oil into biofuel, to blend the biodiesel at shore tanks in Singapore.

The company is also exploring the use of ammonia as an alternative marine fuel, and last November signed a 10-year charter contract for four LNG-powered capesize+ vessels to transport iron ore from 2023.

The LNG-powered fleet will carry up to 5 million t/yr of iron ore from Anglo's operations in Brazil and South Africa to costomers worldwide. Delivery of the fleet is expected in 2023.

Peter Whitcutt, CEO of Anglo American's Marketing business, said: "Low emission ocean freight is crucial in driving the long-term sustainability of the maritime industry. Shaping an effective transition requires a comprehensive framework of complementary solutions, in which alternative marine fuels have an important role to play.

"We are partnering with like-minded industry players to improve our understanding of factors likely to impact the future scalability of this solution. The success of this trial marks an important step forward in establishing biofuel as a viable option, aligned with circular economic principles. These efforts also reinforce our commitment as an organisation to reduce emissions across the entire value chain, as we work towards carbon neutrality across our operations by 2040."