Shipping major Hapag-Lloyd has taken decisive action to reduce its carbon footprint with the introduction of a new eco-friendly biofuel to its fleet.
Hapag-Lloyd senior director of sustainability management, Jörg Erdmann, said that the new ‘B20’ fuel, which consists of 80 percent low-sulphur fuel and 20 percent biodiesel, would significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the company.
“By the end of this year, we want to have reduced our specific CO2 emissions by 50 percent compared to the reference year 2008. Biofuels like ‘B20’ can help us reach this target,” he said. “This is because in addition to having a low sulphur content, the fuel emits less climate-damaging CO2 during combustion.”
The ‘Montreal Express’ was the first ship to be refuelled with the new biofuel, and according to senior director of purchasing & supply Jan Christensen, this trial run will determine whether the company uses it on other vessels.
“We are checking to see whether the share of biodiesel has any adverse effects on the equipment and the fuel processing on board the vessel. If the test is successful, more ships in the fleet could operate using the ‘B20’ fuel in future,” he added.
