Stolt Tankers forecasts 18% emission reduction as inland fleet moves to renewable fuel

Norwegian tanker operator Stolt Tankers has revealed that all ships in its inland tanker fleet will be bunkered with renewable fuel in December, delivering around an 18% reduction in carbon emissions.

According to the operator, all ships in the Stolt-Nielsen Inland Tanker Service (SNITS) fleet – more than 30 in total – will be bunkered with the HVO20 fuel, an 80/20 of hydrotreated vegetable oil by the end of December 2024.

Switching to this renewable fuel is expected to reduce carbon emissions from the SNITS fleet by around 18% in December, compared to the ultra-low sulphur diesel (ULSD) fuel that is traditionally used.

Maickel Uijtewaal, SNITS General Manager, said: “We are delighted to be undertaking this initiative to bunker renewable fuel on all our vessels this month. It underlines our commitment to exploring and implementing energy-efficiency measures where possible and we hope it inspires our customers and others in the industry to do the same.”

As part of Stolt Tankers’ long-term sustainability strategy, in 2023, SCR exhaust aftergas treatment systems were installed on two inland tankers, Stolt Rhine and Stolt Merwede, to reduce nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide (NOx) emissions.

At the same time, SNITS became a Green Award incentive provider. This quality assessment certification scheme awards ships that exceed industry standards in terms of safety, quality, and environmental performance.

In 2024, one of the operator’s barges, Stolt Main, was bunkered with 100% renewable HVO100 fuel for the first time and five other vessels also moved to renewable biofuels.