Volkswagen Group moves to low-emission logistics with LNG ships
Volkswagen is the first automaker to transport most of its new vehicles overseas using low-emission LNG ships. By 2023 the Group plans to add four more LNG-powered ships with dual-fuel engines to its current fleet of two LNG car carriers.
The vessels powered by environmentally friendly liquid gas should be serving the North American route between Emden in Germany and Veracruz in Mexico.
On the return trip, the LNG ships will transport new vehicles destined for Europe. Soon, six of the nine car carriers crossing the North Atlantic for Volkswagen will be powered by LNG.
The further decarbonisation of shipping will result in substantial CO2 reductions, with the use of liquid gas enabling Volkswagen to cut the ships’ CO2 emissions by up to 25% (tank-to-wake).
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“In line with the Group’s commitment to e-mobility and climate-neutral production, the LNG fleet used by Logistics represents a major contribution to making Volkswagen net carbon neutral by 2050,” says Simon Motter, Head of Volkswagen Group Logistics.
Volkswagen was one of the first car manufacturers to subscribe to the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement that aim to limit global warming to significantly less than two degrees by 2050.
The Volkswagen Group has therefore committed to e-mobility as well as to the sustainable production and use of new electric vehicles.
The company follows the principle of focusing first on the avoidance of CO2 emissions and then on reducing emissions as far as possible. Only unavoidable emissions are offset by climate protection measures.
On coastal routes, the Group already operates two car carriers with biofuel produced from plant-based residues such as waste oil from the food industry. This has resulted in an 85% reduction in CO2 emissions (well-to-wake).
Read more: ICCT report: LNG ships worse for climate than distillate fuels
Simon Motter says: “With these four additional LNG ships, Group Logistics is continuing its commitment to climate protection and pursuing the strategy of low-emission sea transport that was decided in 2016."
"The new ships will also permit the use of non-fossil fuels in the future, thus reducing CO2 emissions even further. Our aim is to make all our transport operations – by water, road and rail – environmentally friendly, clearly demonstrating the Volkswagen Group’s pioneering role in climate-friendly logistics."
Exclusive long-term agreements have been signed with shipowners Wallenius Marine and SFL Corporation for the use of the four new car carriers on the North Atlantic route. The state-of-the-art ships are being built in China.
They each have a capacity of around 7,000 CEU (car equivalent units), which corresponds to between 4,400 and 4,700 vehicles from the Volkswagen Group’s model mix. The ships will be powered by 13,300 kW dual-fuel engines from MAN Energy Solutions and, in eco-speed mode, will be able to travel at speeds of 15 to 16 knots (28 to 30 km/h).
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