Shipper clients of pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) are “hiding” their decarbonization success from the public, according to shortsea operator UECC. UECC, which operates shortsea ro-ro services throughout Europe, has developed a biofuel framework similar to Maersk’s use of methanol, based on ‘mass balancing’, reports The Loadstar.
Car carrier
Daniel Gent, UECC’s energy & sustainability manager, highlighted that significant research has gone into sourcing biofuel and ensuring its provenance, a level of diligence not all companies can manage.
Despite wanting to decarbonize transport, UECC has noted that some carmakers lack the resources for thorough due diligence and prefer to outsource this responsibility to UECC. Consequently, these shippers often hide their biofuel usage efforts, embedding it in costs like a bunker adjustment factor to avoid scrutiny. This reluctance is driven by fear of being questioned without having comprehensive biofuel provenance information.
Despite its reputation for being used in epoxy coatings, UECC is currently testing a biofuel blend incorporating cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL). They conduct extensive trials and plan to use B100, a blend of CNSL and other biofuels.
Gent pointed out the biofuel industry’s susceptibility to misleading claims and emphasized the importance of thorough due diligence to ensure sustainability. He criticized practices like using deforested cropland for palm oil production, which can result in biofuels with a higher carbon footprint than fossil fuels, thus undermining their environmental benefits.
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Source: The Loadstar
