United European Car Carriers (UECC) has gained official certification for Scope 3 emissions savings of 2379 tonnes of CO2e in 2024 on vehicle shipments with Ford of Europe through bunkering of biofuels on vessels operating in its European trading network.
“Validation of emissions reductions achieved through using UECC’s transport services is important for our customers to determine their logistics carbon footprint in relation to ESG reporting,” said UECC’s CEO Glenn Edvardsen after presenting the Proof of Allocation certificate, provided by verification company EnviroSense, to Ford’s Manager Vehicle Logistics, Claudia Koenen, at its Oslo head office recently.
“UECC is focused on ensuring verified documentation of our fleet’s environmental performance to enable our customers to meet their sustainability goals, as well as realise the commercial benefits of reducing their exposure to the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and FuelEU Maritime.”
Varied portfolio
The certificate reflects emissions reductions achieved through the use of multiple alternative fuels across UECC’s LNG multi-fuel and biofuel-capable fleet.
By deploying a range of low-carbon solutions across its operations, UECC has built an expansive portfolio of emissions savings, which enables cargo owners like Ford to draw verified benefits in line with their own climate targets and compliance strategies.
EnviroSense asserts in its certification: “The biofuel that has been sourced for use as the sustainable marine fuel has been produced in alignment with a voluntary scheme that is compliant with the Renewable Energy Directive II.”
The EU’s so-called RED II defines sustainability criteria for biofuels, covering agricultural biomass as well as bio-waste and residue feedstock, to ensure these fuels are sourced responsibly.
The carbon intensity calculation formula used by EnviroSense therefore considers a range of factors related to the biofuel supply chain – such as emissions from cultivation and extraction of raw materials, and emissions from transport and distribution – in accordance with the well-to-wake carbon intensity metric under FuelEU.
Fuel verification for compliance
UECC is now reaping the benefits of boosting biofuel usage over the past five years after piloting the first use of the fuel in the industry in 2020, while focusing on biofuels with a typical minimum 90% reduction in GHG intensity from well-to-wake compared with conventional marine fuels.
Energy & Sustainability Manager Daniel Gent explained that UECC has a strict biofuel sourcing policy that requires all such fuels to have a proof of sustainability (POS) with RSB or ISCC certification from a third party. UECC only accepts waste, residues and by-products as feedstock
“Fuel certification is a prerequisite for regulatory compliance and underpins the credibility of our efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of our fleet as we continue to evaluate new alternative fuels based on their sustainability, technical suitability and commercial viability towards the goal of achieving net zero by 2040,” Gent concluded.
