United European Car Carriers (UECC) obtained the official certification for the saving of 2,379 tonnes of CO2e Scope 3 emissions in 2024 in vehicle shipments with Ford Europe through the sourcing of biofuels for vessels operating in its commercial network in the Old Continent.
“The validation of the emission reductions achieved through the use of UECC’s transport services is important for our customers to determine their logistical carbon footprint in relation to ESG reports,” stated UECC’s Chief Executive Officer, Glenn Edvardsen, after presenting the allocation proof certificate, provided by the verification company Enviro Sense, to Ford’s Vehicle Logistics Manager, Claudia Koenen, at their head office in Oslo.
“UECC focuses on ensuring verified documentation of our fleet’s environmental performance to enable our customers to reach their sustainability objectives, as well as to obtain the commercial benefits of reducing their exposure to the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and FuelEU Maritime,” added Edvardsen.
The certificate reflects the emission reductions achieved through the use of multiple alternative fuels in UECC’s multi-fuel and biofuel-capable LNG fleet.
By implementing a range of low-carbon solutions across all its operations, UECC has created a broad portfolio of emission savings, which enables cargo owners like Ford to obtain verified benefits in accordance with their own climate targets and compliance strategies.
Enviro Sense states in its certification that “the biofuel that has been sourced for use as sustainable marine fuel has been produced in accordance with a voluntary scheme that complies with the Renewable Energy Directive II”.
The so-called EU RED II defines sustainability criteria for biofuels, which encompass agricultural biomass as well as biowaste and residues as feedstock, to ensure these fuels are sourced responsibly.
Therefore, the carbon intensity calculation formula used by Enviro Sense considers a variety of factors related to the biofuel supply chain (such as emissions from the cultivation and extraction of raw materials, and emissions from transport and distribution) in accordance with the FuelEU well-to-wake carbon intensity metric.
UECC is now reaping the benefits of pushing the use of biofuels over the last five years after testing the industry’s first use of the fuel in 2020, while focusing on biofuels with a typical minimum 90% reduction in GHG intensity from well-to-wake compared to conventional marine fuels.
UECC’s Energy and Sustainability Manager, Daniel Gent, explained the company has a strict biofuel sourcing policy that requires all these elements to have a third-party granted sustainability certification (POS) from RSB or ISCC, as the firm only accepts waste, residues, and by-products as feedstock.
“Fuel certification is a prerequisite for regulatory compliance and supports the credibility of our efforts to reduce our fleet’s carbon footprint as we continue to evaluate new alternative fuels based on their sustainability, technical suitability, and commercial feasibility towards the goal of achieving net zero by 2040,” concluded Gent.
