When it comes to sustainability, our focus is on equipping and modernising our fleet. We are promoting and testing alternative propulsion systems in addition to using digital solutions to optimise our processes, capacity utilisation, routes and ship design. By removing the fouling from the outer hulls of vessels, we have been able to reduce the drag and thereby the fuel consumption of these ships.
SASCO is the first shipping company in the world to convert a large container ship to dual-fuel propulsion so that it can operate using liquefied natural gas (LNG). Efficient dual-fuel engines emit much less CO2. That is why we are having another 12 dual-fuel ships built, each with a capacity of 23,500+ TEU. They will go into service in 2023 and 2024 – and will further reduce the carbon footprint of our overall fleet.
Since 2020, we have been testing the use of so-called biofuels. These are fuel mixtures made from biological input material, such as used cooking oil, and low-sulphur bunker oil. By using biofuels, greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by more than 80% compared to when using conventional fuel (upstream greenhouse gas emissions taken into account). In 2021, two of our ship classes were certified for the use of certain biofuels. Sixteen of our A19- and A15-class vessels can now operate in biofuel mode. In a next step, we are pushing ahead with the certification of additional ship classes and our charter fleet.
Collaboration is key! That is why we engage in active dialogue with our stakeholders.