UECC slashes CO2 emissions in 2025 by accelerating shift to bio-LNG bunker fuel

United European Car Carriers (UECC) recently reported that the company greatly reduced CO2 emissions in 2025 – mainly through switching out more LNG with liquefied biomethane, also known as bio-LNG, in its fuel mix. 

The Norwegian shipping company recorded an emissions reduction of 154,468 tons of CO2 last year, an improvement of around 44% on 2024 (107,173 tons), as it accelerates progress towards a target of 186,263 tons in 2030 – a 45% reduction from a 2014 baseline.

Cutting 154,468 tons of CO2 is equivalent to removing around 38,000 cars with internal combustion engines (ICE) from the road, eliminating emissions of around 514 round-trip flights from London to New York or growing 2.5 million tree seedlings over a decade.

Although the share of alternative fuels in UECC’s fuel mix remained basically unchanged at around 42% last year, the company realised significant gains in emissions cuts through expanding the use of high-impact LBM (or bio-LNG) under its Sail for Change initiative as the low-carbon fuel was used more widely across its enabled tonnage.

“This programme has been a major factor behind UECC’s improved environmental performance in 2025 as bioLNG accounted for a much higher share of 71% of LNG consumption, versus 31% the previous year. This trend is set to continue as we further expand the volume of bioLNG used to fuel the fleet going forward,” said UECC’s recently appointed Sustainability Manager Steinar Rinvik Spinnangr.

UECC now has seven dual-fuel and multi-fuel LNG Pure Car and Truck Carriers (PCTCs) in its 16-vessel fleet – of which the first dual-fuel vessels were delivered in 2016 – with an additional four newbuilds on order.

Three of these PCTCs are currently deployed on the leading European sustainable RoRo carrier’s main North-South trading network that are bunkering LBM as part of Sail for Change, which is supported by major vehicle manufacturers including Toyota, Ford and JLR.

UECC Chief Executive Glenn Edvardsen asserted that the latest emissions data demonstrate the company’s exponential progress in fleet decarbonization from its proactive adoption of alternative fuels after initially piloting biofuels in 2020.

“The strong statistics show that our investments in newbuilds designed to run on LNG and bioLNG, as well as biofuel implementation on other vessels, are paying off,” he said.

“These figures translate into significant cost savings for our customers through reduced exposure to the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and FuelEU Maritime, strengthening commercial advantage while underpinning our shared sustainability ambitions.

“At the same time, we are developing our bunkering network for available alternative fuels to expand their usage going forward, coinciding with a series of newbuild deliveries in the coming years towards UECC’s goal of achieving net zero by 2040.”

UECC now has four multi-fuel LNG battery hybrid newbuild PCTCs on order at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard Nanjing, having recently contracted two additional units at the Chinese yard, with deliveries scheduled as early as 2028 for both vessels.

As well as alternative fuels, Spinnangr said he will continue to focus on other sustainability initiatives such as increased implementation of measures to enhance energy efficiency across UECC’s existing vessels – including digital tools for voyage planning and route optimisation, and hull cleaning systems to minimise drag.

Photo credit: United European Car Carriers
Published: 31 March, 2026