UECC pumps new blood into old veins
The test run took a year. The Norwegian ro-ro company United European Car Carriers (UECC) replaced conventional fuel with biofuel onboard the 20-year-old ro-ro vessel “Autosky”. This is the proof that besides newbuilds aging vessels can also help reduce emissions.
Taking into account the IMO target of reducing maritime GHG emissions by 50% by 2050, Daniel Gent, energy & sustainability manager at UECC, speaks of an "an important stepping stone in maritime’s transition to a sustainable future."
The trial of the 6,500 dwt car carrier, boasting a 2,080-vehicle capacity, started in March 2020l. After a deep cleaning of its fuel tanks, and appropriate crew training, the vessel swapped conventional fuel for sustainably sourced biofuel. The initial three-month pilot was extended to a year with support from BMW Group.
Over the course of the initiative “Autosky” used 6,000 t of biofuel, reducing its overall CO2 (per tkm) from 85.62 g CO2/tkm in 2019 to 35.96 g CO2/tkm, an almost 60% reduction in carbon intensity. To put this into context, IMO has set the seemingly ambitious target of a 40% reduction by 2030. (cd)