Seafaring with chip fat

Waste as an opportunity for shipping

Doesn't that sound familiar? Years ago, diesel drivers also tipped cooking oil from discounters into their tanks. Now a shipping company is doing it. United European Car Carriers (UECC) has already attracted attention several times with its sustainable solutions. Now the winner of the Greenports Award 2019 wants to support the potential of waste raw materials on the way to a decarbonised future. "It's all about waste," said Daniel Gent, Energy & Sustainability Manager at UECC. It starts with used fryer fat, for example, and anything organic can be used as a raw material. And the shipping company is serious about this. After a deep clean of its fuel tanks and appropriate crew training, the ship swapped conventional fuel for sustainably sourced biofuels. This green shipping "smoothie" is provided by supplier GoodFuels and consists of a variety of food stocks, including processed cooking oil. Compared to HFO, it is an ultra-clean alternative.

Car transporters are rarely beautiful....

In March last year, UECC launched the trial with MS Autosky, a 20-year-old car transporter with a capacity of around 2,000 vehicles travelling on European routes. Over the course of the one-year pilot project, the ship consumed around 6,000 tonnes of biofuel, significantly reducing CO2 emissions. In addition, 9,000 kilograms less sulphur oxide and hardly any particulate matter are said to have been produced. Overall, CO2 per tonne kilometre was reduced by 60 %, far beyond the reduction of 40 % targeted by the IMO in 2030.

Sustainable commitment

However, biofuel not only has supporters looking towards a decarbonised future, but also critics. The latter point out that biofuel production can displace food production, which could lead to inflated prices and limited availability. Gent said: "There is a difference between biofuels and sustainable biofuels. We believe that biofuels must fulfil very strict sustainability criteria and this is the core of our procurement policy. This means that the raw materials we use must not lead to land use change, competition with food, deforestation or loss of biodiversity." "Accountability, traceability and responsibility are the key words here."

Building on the success

With more government support, supply chain development and increased buy-in from climate-conscious customers (THE BMW Group supported the Autosky study), Gent sees a bright future for biofuel uptake across the industry. Anyone who wants to transport electric cars in the future and comes from Norway (the Norwegians want to ban combustion engines completely) has no other choice.

Photos: UECC