It's all about sustainable fuels
For years, the shipping company, which operates in the European short-haul business, has been making headlines for its endeavours to test alternative drives and fuels. LNG, dual fuel and battery technologies have all been used in the ships. HANSA Online reported in 2022 that UECC had the "most environmentally friendly fleet in Bremen's ports". The Norwegians have already won the "Bremen Ports Award" several times. UECC sees itself as a pioneer in sustainable ro-ro shipping.
Now the Oslo-based company has announced that it is working with industry giants such as maritime consultancy organisation Lloyd's Register FOBAS, engine manufacturer Wartsila and biofuel supplier ACT Group on the use of cashew nutshell (CNSL)-based biofuel.
As part of this partnership, the ACT Group has developed a CNSL-based biofuel called FSI.100. This was achieved through a development process that included engine testing and a supply chain. After testing various blend combinations, FSI.100 received approval from engine manufacturers as a 301TP3 blend component in an ISO 8217 DMA grade distillate fuel oil for marine trials, representing a significant step in the development of sustainable marine fuels. It is expected to deliver low sulphur content and greenhouse gas savings to reduce well-to-wake emissions by 90 % (9.50 g CO2eq/MJ) compared to conventional marine fuels.
The joint efforts of UECC, LR FOBAS, Wärtsila and the ACT Group have resulted in new processes involving extensive engine bench testing and analytical assessments to evaluate the suitability of CNSL-based FSI.100 blends in both residual and distillate fuel oils for marine applications.
UECC is a Norwegian shipping company, half owned by Nippon Yusen Kaisha and half owned by Wallenius Lines. United European Car Carriers provides short sea RoRo transport in Europe and operates a fleet of pure car and truck carriers in a pan-European service network. In addition, the company offers its customers door-to-door supply chain solutions and operates several vehicle terminals in major European ports. UECC is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, with subsidiaries and branches throughout Europe.
Lloyd's Register (LR) is a global services group specialising in marine engineering and technology. With a tradition dating back more than 260 years to the founding of the world's first marine classification society, LR is dedicated to setting and improving standards for the safety of ships. They are a provider of classification and compliance services to the shipping and offshore industries.
The ACT Group helps companies achieve their climate protection goals, no matter how ambitious they are. Since their foundation in 2009, they have become a trusted partner for impactful climate projects that generate carbon credits, energy efficiency projects and certificates, as well as experts in renewable electricity and gas markets, renewable fuels and carbon credits. ACT Group's teams in Amsterdam, New York, London, Paris, Shanghai and Singapore deliver solutions based on extensive market knowledge.
Sources: HANSA / UECC
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It is inspiring to see how UECC is making shipping more sustainable with innovative biofuels such as the CNSL-based FSI.100! The fact that they want to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 90 % is a strong signal for the entire industry. In logistics, we are pursuing similar goals and focusing on a sustainable future. With our E-TRUCK-fleet, we are making our own contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions in road transport. Together with pioneers such as UECC, we are showing that climate-friendly innovations can become a reality on the road and on the water.