Meriaura and and Stockholm Exergi have signed a contract for the sea transport of woodchips and woodpellets within the Baltic Sea by using climate friendly, 100% biofuel as power source. The contract is the first commercial contract based on Meriaura’s 2016 built, biofuel powered EcoCoaster vessels. When operated on waste-based or recycled second generation biofuels, Meriaura’s EcoCoaster vessels are the most climate- and environmentally friendly shipping method that is available today. The lifecycle emissions of the transports can be up to 96% lower compared to fossil fuels.
Stockholm Exergi’s goal is to be fully CO2 neutral. In 2018, 86 per cent of district heat distributed was based on renewable sources or recovered energy. The rest was based on fossil fuels, including coal. By 2022, coal should be completely replaced by sustainable sources and the energy production close to 100 % will be based on renewable or recovered energy sources.
“Emissions from shipping and transport will be of greater relative importance as we phase out fossil fuels in our own production. This contract contributes to the development of transport solutions on our way towards 100 % carbon neutrality” comments Ulf Wikström, Head of Sustainability at Stockholm Exergi.
Meriaura starts offering to all its customers an option to sign for low-emission contracts against a small premium, which equals to the price difference between MGO and EcoFuel. Meriaura engages to source, produce and use EcoFuel at least the amount that equals to the total consumption of the voyages executed under the contract.
”The door is now opened, and we are eager to promote this concept for our other customers as well. Step by step we can change the shipping business to become sustainable” says Beppe Rosin, the Managing Director of Meriaura. Meriaura will also provide calculations on CO2 reductions achieved by choosing this contract-type. “Our hope is that such data can be used further in the value-chain and help our customers to create added value for their end-products.”
