The Swedish car manufacturer Volvo Cars cooperates with, among others, Maersk to reduce its global greenhouse gas footprint from seaborne logistics. For its decarbonisation product ECO Delivery Ocean, Maersk substitutes fossil fuels on its ships with second generation biodiesel based on waste feedstocks to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of customers’ ocean transport directly in the Ocean supply chain, i.e. without compensatory measures like offsetting.

With almost 15,000 containers under Maersk ECO Delivery Ocean, Volvo Cars will reduce GHG emissions by 28,000 tonnes within the next twelve months. Maersk’s ECO Delivery Ocean solution will be used for inbound ocean container transports of production material destined for Volvo Cars’ manufacturing plants based in China, Europe and the Americas, as well as spare parts distribution made globally by ocean container transports. The first ECO Delivery transports commenced in June.

Volvo Cars and Maersk have both the target to reduce their total greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2040. Sharing this ambitious pace in the decarbonisation, we are joining forces to maximise the progress towards net zero supply chains. We are delighted that Volvo Cars have selected our ECO Delivery Ocean solution, because we can reach our goals only together with our customers. These close collaborations are essential in order to deliver on our ambitious, mutual decarbonisation goals.

Birna Odefors, Managing Director of Maersk’s Area Nordics

See related article: Maersk Purchases 25 Volvo E-Trucks for Climate-friendly Container Transports in Germany

Renewable fuel is not the end game for removing CO2 from the world’s ocean freight needs. Yet this initiative shows that we can act now and implement solutions that achieve significant results during the wait for long-term technological alternatives. 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.

Javier Varela, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy CEO of Volvo Cars

With ECO Delivery Ocean, Maersk offers its customers the opportunity to handle transports completely with certified biodiesel from waste resources for a small and fixed additional cost. The corresponding greenhouse gas savings are confirmed to the customers with a verified certificate.