And the winner is...: UECC's Auto Advance gains Bremenports award for most eco-friendly vessel

United European Car Carriers (UECC) has again earned Bremenports' Green Focus Award for Cleanest Vessel, with its multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid PCTC Auto Advance recognised as the most eco-friendly ship calling at the German ports of Bremen and Bremerhaven in 2023.

The aptly named vessel achieved the highest green ranking with an Environmental Ship Index (ESI) score of 80.1 following 10 calls at the port of Bremerhaven last year to secure the prestigious prize, demonstrating the advances in sustainability achieved by UECC through investments in green newbuilds.

The ESI is an international standard developed by major North West European ports as part of the World Port Climate Initiative to benchmark the performance of ships in relation to their carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions, with scores between zero and 100 indicating the extent to which a vessel outperforms IMO requirements.

On a RoRoll

This is the third time that leading European shortsea RoRo operator UECC has won the award after its dual-fuel LNG car carrier Auto Energy gained the earlier Greenports award both in 2018 and 2022, when the company also earned the accolade for cleanest fleet.

UECC's Head of Newbuilding Jan Thore Foss received the latest award together with UECC's Captain Piotr Bartoszewicz at the recent Envoconnect ports sustainability conference in Bremerhaven.

“The Auto Advance has an LNG battery hybrid propulsion system, so that she achieves excellent emission levels. We are delighted that this award honours our performance and see it as encouragement to continue to opt for a green fleet," Foss said.

Bremenports' Managing Director Robert Howe said that "UECC has evolved into a key performer in the Green Focus Awards", as the company has achieved significant reductions in GHG emissions across its fleet both through investing in LNG-fuelled newbuilds and adopting biofuels on existing vessels.

The 2021-built Auto Advance is one of three sisterships, along with Auto Achieve and Auto Aspire, earlier delivered from China's Jiangnan Shipyard that are the first PCTCs to combine a multi-fuel LNG engine with a hybrid battery solution and smart energy management system in an innovative configuration to reduce fuel consumption and boost energy efficiency.

Exceeding carbon intensity targets

The use of low-carbon LNG cuts CO2 emissions by around 25% versus conventional fossil fuels, while also reducing NOx emissions by 95%, and results in minimal discharges of particulate matter and SOx. Consequently, UECC's five LNG-fuelled PCTCs already exceed the IMO target for a 40% reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 versus 2008.

Furthermore, UECC has been able to achieve carbon-neutral operations with these vessels by bunkering liquefied biomethane, or bioLNG, under its recently launched Sail for Change sustainability program in collaboration with major European vehicle manufacturers.

This is part of the company's pioneering effort to adopt alternative fuels to lower the carbon footprint of its fleet, while cutting Scope 3 emissions of transport logistics for clients to reduce their financial exposure to the EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime regulations.

"The Green Focus Award clearly shows that our efforts in developing low-carbon solutions are paying off as we enhance the environmental profile of our fleet through progressive reductions in carbon intensity to exceed both IMO and EU regulatory requirements," Foss says.

For more information contact: 

Bjorn O. Gran Svenningsen, Director Sales & Marketing, UECC  

Email: bsv@uecc.com 

About UECC:

UECC (United European Car Carriers) is a provider of short sea RoRo transportation in Europe. UECC operates a fleet of Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs), delivering logistics solutions with a focus on sustainability. The company is committed to reducing its environmental impact through the Sail for Change program and other initiatives. 

 

[Photo caption #1:] Auto Advance on her maiden call to Bremerhaven 17.01.2022

[Photo caption #2:] (L-R) Bremenports' Robert Howe and Katja von Bargen with Jan Thore Foss and Captain Piotr Bartoszewicz from UECC. Photo: Bremenports