BMW sets sail on new marine biofuels programme

Leading ship owner UECC and the GoodShipping Programme have partnered with BMW to continue to test marine Bio Fuel-Oil (BFO) on car carrying vessels.
BMW joins UECC and the GoodShipping Programme where BFO is being tested on UECC’s 140 metre long 2,080-vehicle carrier M/V Autosky - a roll on, roll off (ro-ro) vessel.
The car company will be able to claim an emissions reduction of 80-90% for these shipments, totalling more than 400 tonnes of carbon.
This is a significant and important step towards achieving a carbon-neutral supply chain for the car firm, and is the core aim of the GoodShipping Programme, which enables cargo owners to reduce their environmental footprint.
BMW Group’s participation in the project marks yet another step in the advancement of marine biofuel and climate friendly vehicle transportation, and contributes to enabling the continuation of biofuel deliveries to UECC after the trial period.
The first volume of biofuel was delivered to M/V Autosky on March 16 in the Port of Rotterdam. M/V Autosky is currently testing BFO on the route between Zeebrugge, Belgium and Santander, Spain.
The BFO – based on cooking oil – being used for this trial was supplied by the leading biofuel company GoodFuels.
Marine biofuel allows shipowners and operators to comply with both new legislation around sulphur content for marine fuels, as well as future regulations on carbon reduction by 2030 and 2050.
Sea transportation and logistics play an important role for the BMW Group, which has production sites and vehicle distribution processes worldwide.
Daniel Gent, energy and sustainability manager at UECC, said: “At UECC, we want to support our customers and enable them to make proactive, conscious choices about their cargo transportation. “BMW Group’s participation to continue our trial on our ro-ro vessel M/V Autosky should, therefore, signal to the automotive sector that the means to decarbonise are readily available and that our vessels are equipped to meet this most important of challenges for the shipping industry.”
Anniek Sluis, growth captain at The GoodShipping Programme, added: “We are delighted to have BMW Group join us for continuing this pioneering trial of marine biofuel within the ro-ro segment. Transportation logistics have a huge carbon impact, so the leadership shown by BMW Group to proactively take steps to decarbonise – and recognise that solutions are available – should act as a call for others in the sector to join us on this journey.”
The GoodShipping Programme requires shippers to commit to a reduction in their sea freight CO2 emissions.