Biofuels drive for shipping sustainability

Global multimodal logistics company Samskip has increased its commitment to greener shipping through a new formal agreement with sustainable cargo initiative GoodShipping to run part of its fleet on marine biofuels and significantly reduce its carbon footprint.

Ásbjörn Gíslason, CCO and deputy CEO at Samskip, said: “We always aim to build a better future and to leave a positive footprint on our planet. By playing a forward-thinking and pioneering role in the energy transition, our customers can now benefit from a simple and easy means of decarbonising their cargo streams. We get to pioneer advanced marine biofuels, and the environment benefits from an immediate carbon reduction.”

Up to 45% CO2 reduction

The initial usage of biofuels will enable a CO2-reduction of up to 45%, with plans to scale up to a CO2-reduction of up to 80% for any given voyage later in 2021.

The Samskip Endeavour, an 800TEU capacity containership which normally runs on traditional fuels, had the honour to kick-off the partnership by using sustainable biofuels in its recent sailings. By bunkering sustainable biofuels, Samskip enables cargo owners to reduce their ocean carbon footprint significantly in their supply chains.

Two years ago, it was also the Samskip Endeavour that was the first ever vessel to be biofuel-bunkered through the GoodShipping initiative, demonstrating the viability of biofuels as a marine alternative to fossil fuels.

Under the renewed agreement, also in partnership with GoodShipping, biofuels supplier GoodFuels is supporting Samskip’s plan to rapidly extend the use of biofuels on more of its vessels this year. GoodFuels’ second-generation sustainable biofuels consist of certified feedstock, labelled as waste or residue. There are no land-use issues, no competition with food production or deforestation during the production process.