H&M Group becomes first Maersk customer to trial carbon neutral biofuel

Danish shipping giant Maersk is now offering carbon neutral biofuel under pilot projects to customers deploying sustainable supply chain solutions.

According to Maersk, the biofuel is the same blend of used cooking oil that has already been tested and validated in a trial with the Dutch Sustainability Growth Coalition and Shell, carried out earlier this year.

H&M Group is the first customer to trial the biofuel as part of its shift towards carbon neutral transport solutions.

"The biofuel trial on board Mette Maersk has proven that decarbonised solutions for shipping can already be utilised today, both technically and operationally,” said Søren Toft, COO of Maersk. “While it is not yet an absolutely final solution it is certainly part of the solution and it can serve as a transition solution to reduce CO₂ emissions today.

“With the launch of this product, Maersk seeks to help our customers with their goal of moving to sustainable supply chains.”

Using this biofuel blend, H&M Group will be able to reduce emission from transport and logistic operations, helping the company towards its goal of carbon neutrality.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials will reportedly provide a procedure to ensure that carbon savings are appropriately accredited to Maersk’s customers.

"Our high ambition to become climate positive by 2040 requires cooperation and engagement from all parties in the supply chain,” said Helena Helmersson, COO at H&M Group. ”We want to use our size to be a force for good and enable scaling innovative solutions, such as the carbon neutral ocean product, for a greener commercial transport."

Maersk plans to use lessons learned from the biofuel pilot project to support a wider product offering.

The shipping company will continue to develop and facilitate the uptake of solutions that support carbon neutral options in transportation.

"We believe this is the only commercially viable path to make the required investments our industry requires to reach the carbon neutral target,” added Toft. “We are so pleased to see a significant shift in sentiment and involvement from customers, fuel suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and competitors towards sustainable solutions.”