Unifeeder launches new carbon insetting solution to back decarbonization

Danish short sea operator Unifeeder has launched a new carbon insetting solution to decarbonize the seaborne sections of its supply chains. 

Unifeeder, a part of DP World’s Marine Services Division, is already running part of its global services using alternative fuels.

The carbon insetting solution GreenBox tracks these shipments and generates tokens for each ton of carbon saved.

According to the company, customers can purchase the tokens, or ‘insets’, for use in their sustainability reporting and Unifeeder uses the proceeds to buy more alternative fuels.

Unifedeer noted that the first tokens have already been generated and can now be acquired.

“We are experiencing increasing demand for solutions to reduce emissions within our customers’ supply chains. The use of our GreenBox application supports a decarbonization cycle that expands the use of alternative fuels and accelerates the decarbonization process of our industry,” Unifeeder’s Chief Commercial Officer, Martin Gaard Christiansen, commented.

“It will be many years before we achieve regulatory-driven price parity between conventional fuels plus their CO2 surcharges and alternative fuels. GreenBox will accelerate the industry’s ability to utilize more alternative fuels and crucially support us to use new alternative sources beyond biofuels, such as ammonia and methanol,” Unifeeder’s Director Group Decarbonization, Christian Hoepfner, stated.

GreenBox follows the guidelines of the Smart Freight Center and its Clean Cargo Initiative and each carbon inset is verified by classification society Bureau Veritas (BV).

According to Unifeeder, clients will be able to easily acquire their insets by using dedicated online access, which will allow them to manage and track their insets.

Unifeeder plans to generate around 25,000 tokens in the introductory phase of GreenBox in 2024. The service is an important element in the firm’s wide-reaching sustainability strategy, which aims to cut the business’ emissions by 47% by 2030 and enable customers to accelerate their Scope 3 reductions.  

Recently, Unifeeder unveiled long-term charter agreement for two additional methanol-powered containerships, following a deal signed in October 2023 for two initial methanol-capable vessels.

The latest agreement is in partnership with German-based shipowner Elbdeich Reederei and Norwegian shipowner MPC Container Ships (MPCC), who are responsible for one vessel each. The 1,250 TEU vessels, scheduled for delivery in 2026, will be deployed on Unifeeder’s European network. The move is part of the company’s decarbonization strategy.