HEINEKEN® Netherlands, leading foodstuff distributor Nedcargo, and GoodFuels, the first marine biofuel company focused on the global commercial shipping fleet, today announced the launch of a joint pilot initiative to demonstrate the significant advantages of operating inland transport barges using sustainable drop-in marine fuel.
The initiative will see advanced marine fuel supplied by GoodFuels containing 30% biofuel on-board the 104 TEU barge ‘For Ever’ – an inland barge transporting Heineken® export beer – from the HEINEKEN brewery in Zoeterwoude to the deep-sea terminals in Rotterdam. The transportation of the beer will dramatically reduce CO2-emissions by more than 25%, while also sharply reducing harmful local emissions such as nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM).
The project will showcase the possibility of reducing emissions of inland waterway transport without any vessel modification. The exact emission reduction compared to fossil fuel will be monitored live during the pilot using Blueco’s Konnexus® system for remote monitoring. The project, supported by the EICB (Expertise en Innovatie Centrum Binnenvaart) and the Dutch Ministry of Transport, is the most extensive of its kind and paves the way for further dramatic reductions in CO2 and local emissions from both waterway and seaborne maritime transport.
Pieter van Kooten, Manager Projects & Sustainability, HEINEKEN Netherlands Supply, commented:
“It’s our ambition to make our brewery in Zoeterwoude climate neutral, and we are well on the way to achieving this. The logistical process is an important part of our sustainability ambition as well, and together with our partners Nedcargo and GoodFuels we are now taking an important step to realising a green corridor between our brewery in Zoeterwoude and the port of Rotterdam, from where we transport our beer around the world.”
Bert van Grieken, Director Multimodal, Nedcargo, added:
“This is where Nedcargo again goes the extra mile to address the need of our client HEINEKEN Netherlands to achieve its green ambitions. It underlines our commitment towards offering our customers sustainable logistic solutions.”
Dirk Kronemeijer, CEO, GoodFuels, said:
“The vessel ‘For Ever’, transporting Heineken® beer, is well known in the Netherlands and is the best possible Dutch transport icon to introduce our drop-in sustainable marine fuel in inland waterway transport – which is a key target segment for us. Furthermore, we are very proud to link our sustainable fuels to the famous Heineken® brand, and our supporting partners EICB and the Dutch Ministry of Transport, in the years to come. This initiative paves the way for further shippers like Heineken® to make a real, direct impact to dramatically reducing CO2 and local emissions from both waterway and seaborne maritime transport – sectors where sustainable biofuel has been earmarked to play a significant role.”
Geertje van Hooijdonk, Director, a.i. Natuur & Milieu (Nature and Environment), added:
“We see advanced sustainable biofuels made from waste as one of the options to help lower the footprint of inland shipping. We are happy to see HEINEKEN® Netherlands, Nedcargo and GoodFuels taking these steps within its supply chain to make its logistics more sustainable.”
Source: GoodFuels Marine