Samskip to Run Part of Its Fleet on Biofuel

Multimodal logistics company Samskip said it has reached a formal agreement with sustainable cargo initiative GoodShipping to run part of its vessel fleet on cleaner burning biofuels.

According to Samskip, the initial usage of biofuels will enable a CO2 emissions reduction of up to 45%, with plans to scale up to a CO2 reduction of up to 80% for any given voyage later in 2021.

The Samskip Endeavour, an 800TEU capacity containership which normally runs on traditional fuels, is the first of Samskip's vessels to have started using sustainable biofuels in its recent sailings.

Two years ago, it was also the Samskip Endeavour that was the first ever vessel to be biofuel-bunkered through the GoodShipping initiative, helping to demonstrate the viability of biofuels as a marine alternative to fossil fuels. Made from sustainable waste streams, the fossil-free bio-residual fuel equivalent product has proved to be a successful substitute for conventional marine fuels as part of the vessel’s operations between the Netherlands and Ireland.

Under the renewed agreement with GoodShipping, biofuels supplier GoodFuels is supporting Samskip’s plan to extend the use of biofuels on more of its vessels this year. GoodFuels’ second-generation sustainable biofuels consist of certified feedstock, labelled as waste or residue. There are no land-use issues, no competition with food production or deforestation during the production process.

"Sustainability runs through Samskip as a core value from every perspective. Therefore, we take great pride in and welcome the collaboration with GoodShipping to strengthen our deep partnership, becoming one of their fulfilment and innovation partners," said Ásbjörn Gíslason, CCO and deputy CEO at Samskip. "We always aim to build a better future and to leave a positive footprint on our planet. By playing a forward-thinking and pioneering role in the energy transition, our customers can now benefit from a simple and easy means of decarbonizing their cargo streams. We get to pioneer advanced marine biofuels, and the environment benefits from an immediate carbon reduction."

"This announcement marks yet another important milestone in our journey beyond the fossil default," said Katarin van Orshaegen, commercial lead at GoodShipping. "Reducing fuel emissions and consumption is a vital next step for the maritime transport industry, so we are extremely pleased to have found a stable fulfilment outlet for our sustainable cargo streams with Samskip, deepening a long-term partnership that is helping to change the way our market thinks about future fuels."