UECC Signs up for Svitzer's EcoTow Solution in Scandinavia

(Svitzer) Svitzer today announced that UECC, a leading provider of short sea transportation services for cars and other rolling cargo on the European continent, has signed a three-year contract for Svitzer’s EcoTow product, through which fossil fuels are replaced with biofuels on Svitzer’s tugs.

Biofuels are among the most effective fuels for decarbonisation in the short term as these are readily available and can deliver easy, immediate cuts of as much as 100% in tank-to-wake emissions for existing vessels.

The new partnership will result in a reduction of almost 25% in UECC’s seaborne Scope 3 emissions – covering indirect emissions associated with business operations across IUCC’s value chain. It is estimated that CO2 emissions from UECC’s towage operations at the ports of Esbjerg, Gothenburg and Malmo will be reduced by more than 300,000 kilograms over the term of the agreement with Svitzer.

“With this agreement, UECC once again positions itself in front of the market, demonstrating that decarbonisation projects are scalable and available. This project aligns with our own supplier policy, which looks to holistically reduce the environmental impact of our business operation, far beyond regulatory requirements.”

“We are extremely pleased to see UECC among the first-movers on EcoTow in Scandinavia. With this agreement they join other global Svitzer customers who partner with us around decarbonisation, gaining the ability to include externally audited CO2 emission savings in their reporting. This shows a strong desire on the part of UECC to demonstrate environmental responsibility.”

Shipowners will have to meet more stringent environmental performance standards with implementation of the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator from 1 January 2023 and the Fuel EU Maritime regulation due to be phased in from 2025. READ MORE

Excerpt from Bunkerspot: UECC has been using biofuels on its PCTC Autosky over the past two years which it says has led to a reduction in annual carbon intensity of around 60%.

As previously reported, Svitzer recently announced its ambitions to reduce CO2 emissions from its fleet by 50% within 2030 and achieve fully carbon-neutral towage operations in 2040, initially through conversion to biofuels.

UECC claims it will be among the first shipping companies to exceed the IMO’s 40% carbon intensity reduction target by 2030 through investments in a trio of newbuild multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid PCTCs, as well as the use of alternative fuels such as biodiesel and biogas on existing vessels.

The second of these newbuilds, Auto Achieve, was recently delivered from China’s Jiangnan Shipyard and will start trading this month, with the third vessel due for delivery in autumn this year. READ MORE