UECC, Titan collaborate on bioLNG bunkering at Port of Zeebrugge

Norway’s United European Car Carriers (UECC) and Dutch Titan Clean Fuels are collaborating on a series of liquefied biomethane (LBM) bunkering operations at the Port of Zeebrugge, UECC announced on July 4. This month, Titan will supply LBM, also known as bio-LNG, to all of UECC’s LNG dual-fuel car carriers.

These pure car and truck carriers (PCTCs) will use 100% LBM as part of UECC’s ‘green gas month’, an initiative that supports its broader ‘sail for change’ sustainability programme. Additionally, three of the ships feature battery hybrid technology.

The use of biomethane waste feedstock provides significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction potential. During ‘Green Gas Month’ alone, UECC estimates that well-to-wake emissions reductions will exceed 8,000 tonnes of CO2e.

The GHG emissions reductions from these LBM bunkering operations will be available to UECC customers through a CO2 registry established in January 2024. This registry allows UECC to "transparently, traceably, and independently" verify the transfer of clean fuel environmental benefits to charterers across its supply chain.

Depending on the feedstock, LBM can achieve net-zero or even net-negative GHG emissions by considering the avoided emissions of waste. UECC also plans to introduce e-methane produced using renewable electricity and electrolysis. These fuels can be blended at any ratio and used in existing LNG infrastructure without modification.

This clean fuel supply agreement is timely, as the European Union’s FuelEU Maritime regulation is about to take effect, UECC said. The regulation, which incentivises the use of renewable fuels of non-biological origin such as e-methane, will come into force on January 1, 2025. It will apply to vessels over 5000 GT, accounting for 100% of emissions within the EU and 50% if one port in the voyage is outside the EU.