This follows the agreement for two
initial vessels announced in October 2023, underscoring the group’s commitment to greener
shipping solutions. The latest agreement is in partnership with German-based
ship owning group Elbdeich Reederei and Norwegian shipowner MPC Container Ships
(MPCC), who are responsible for one vessel each. The 1250 twenty-foot
equivalent unit (TEU) vessels, scheduled for delivery in 2026, will be deployed
on Unifeeder’s European network.
The addition of
these new vessels reinforces the group’s ongoing efforts to reduce emissions
across its network. Simultaneously, Unifeeder is enhancing
fuel efficiency throughout the fleet while increasing the utilization of
biofuels in its conventional vessels.
In alignment with its parent company, DP World,
Unifeeder collaborates with industry partners to address the challenge of
renewable methanol supply. This requires off-take commitments to establish
production at the scale needed to replace conventional fossil fuels within the
industry.
Jesper Kristensen, Group CEO of Unifeeder Group, said: “Building upon our commitment to methanol-powered
vessels last year, this marks another significant stride towards the green
transformation of our fleet and operations.”
The investment in the two new additional ships further
supports Unifeeder Group’s ambitious
decarbonization plan. Surpassing the
industry average, Unifeeder has committed to a 25 per cent reduction of
emissions by 2030 and to reach net-zero by 2050 with no new fossil greenhouse
gas emissions. It aims to achieve this by emphasizing fuel-efficient practices,
regular maintenance and refitting processes of the existing fleet and fostering
a culture of learning and collaboration, sharing best practices across markets
to drive effective carbon reduction strategies.
Unifeeder Group is part of DP World Marine Services, which announced in December 2023 it had reduced
its carbon footprint by more than 16% in 2023 from its 2019 baseline of
2,118 ktCO2e by creating efficiencies across its operations. DP World also joined the First Movers
Coalition, setting a target for 5% of its marine power to come from
zero-emissions fuels by 2030, marking its commitment to decarbonization – a
sentiment echoed by the Unifeeder Group.