Rhys BerryToyota Motor Europe, Ford of Europe and another unnamed European vehicle manufacturer will be using vessels fuelled by bioLNG for cargo transport across Europe after signing up for United European Car Carriers’ (UECC) Sail for Change sustainability programme.
The combined yearly emissions reduction for UECC from the manufacturer trio is estimated at around 80,000 tonnes, or over one-third of its global Scope 1 emissions from ship operations of approximately 220,000 tonnes, the car carrier said today (9 September).
‘We are thrilled that three of our major clients have decided to participate in Sail for Change, which demonstrates the power of industry collaboration in advancing decarbonisation,’ said UECC CEO, Glenn Edvardsen. ‘Those willing to invest in sustainable transport now will ultimately reap the rewards as new regulations give a commercial impetus for green operations.’
As well as boosting their environmental performance with lower Scope 3 emissions, all three vehicle manufacturers will be able to ‘significantly’ reduce their costs exposure to the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), while boosting uptake of alternative low-carbon fuels in line with FuelEU Maritime set to take effect next year, according to UECC’s Energy & Sustainability Manager Daniel Gent.
Under Sail for Change, UECC has facilitated bunkering of ISCC-EU certified bioLNG – or liquefied biomethane – on its five LNG dual-fuel and multi-fuel Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs) at the Port of Zeebrugge through an earlier agreement with Titan Clean Fuels.
This enables the leading European shortsea RoRo carrier to perform carbon-neutral cargo loading operations across its port network, with customers able to access verified data on emissions reductions with clean fuel use through a CO2 registry covering the entire supply chain.
‘UECC has made proactive strides in advancing industry adoption of alternative fuels over the past decade, having also piloted the use of biofuels, and bunkering of bioLNG marks another big step forward, both in reducing the carbon footprint of our clients and increasing demand for low-carbon fuels,’ said Gent.
‘Our aim with Sail for Change has been to provide a standalone product that enables our customers to facilitate a sustainable fuel switch in our fleet that has a direct and immediate impact on their emissions.’
And according to Gent, industry interest has ‘exceeded UECC’s expectations’, resulting in the Green Gas Month initiative being extended beyond July to subsequent months and years. The company is now looking to scale up the programme to allow more companies to participate in future years based on growing demand.
‘Our customers have ambitious decarbonisation targets and see that using alternative fuels can cut a significant swath of emissions from maritime transport,’ said Gent. ‘There is now also a regulatory payback from using a decarbonisation service. Given it will be more economical to use sustainable fuels at some point in the future, customers are keen to secure supplies now.’
Commenting, Jean Christophe Deville, Vice President of Supply Chain at Toyota Motor Europe, said: ‘Enhancing the sustainability of our logistics is an important step towards our goal to become carbon neutral in Europe by 2040, and globally by 2050. UECC’s Sail for Change programme therefore represents a great opportunity to help us realise this ambition.’
Gent noted that, as well as minimising emissions expenses related to the EU ETS, supporting the use of alternative fuels reduces potential costs passed on to the customer by shipping companies for penalties incurred or the need to buy compliance units under FuelEU Maritime.
Due to its earlier investments in biofuels and LNG-fuelled newbuildings, UECC says it is already set to be in excess of FuelEU compliance until the late 2030s, towards its goal of net-zero operations by 2040.
‘Sustainability has always been at the core of our business strategy and we will continue to lead the way in adoption of new alternative fuels in alignment with the green operating regime for the benefit of the environment, our clients and stakeholders,’ added Edvardsen.
ship.energy spoke with Daniel Gent earlier this year to discuss UECC’s trial of a Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL)-based biofuel. To read the full interview, click here.
Image: UECC
Tom Barlow-Brown
