From now on, Volvo Cars will make most of these seafaring journeys with renewable fuel instead of traditional fossil fuel. The OEM is certain that the same will immediately reduce fossil CO2 emissions from intercontinental ocean freight by 55,000 tonne over a year.
The fuel used is Fatty Acid Methyl Esters (FAME) and is based on renewable and sustainable sources, mainly waste cooking oil. No feedstock related to palm oil or palm oil production is used.
Javier Varela, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO, Volvo Cars, said, “We don’t view this initiative as a competitive advantage. On the contrary, we want to spark other car makers into action as well, to increase demand for carbon-efficient ocean transports, and to establish renewable fuels as a mid-term solution that works. We all have a responsibility to act.”
Maersk, Kuehne+Nagel, and DB Schenker are the logistics partners of the OEM. Its ambition is to reduce lifecycle carbon footprint per car by 40% between 2018 and 2025, which requires a 25% reduction in operational emissions, including logistics.