DSV and CMA CGM sign two-year low-carbon shipping deal using UCOME biofuels

logupdateafrica.com

by clean_tech_44·6 hours ago·1 points

DSV has signed a two-year agreement with CMA CGM to use the ACT+ low-carbon shipping solution, aiming to cut about 12,000 tonnes of CO2 across its ocean freight. The reduction is tied to low-carbon fuels, mainly second-generation used cooking oil methyl ester (UCOME) biofuels and BioLNG. CMA CGM says ACT+ can cut emissions by up to 83% versus conventional marine fuel. CMA CGM is adding more dual-fuel LNG and methanol vessels, with roughly 200 expected by 2031, and points to its LNG-powered containerships as the backbone of its 2050 net-zero plan. DSV says the deal expands lower-carbon options for its customers and supports its own net-zero goal by 2050. Anyone tracking shipping decarbonization should watch how the fuel supply and emissions accounting actually work in practice, not just the headline tonnage. The 12,000 tonne figure is modest next to the volumes both companies move, but it gives UCOME demand a concrete commercial signal.

4 comments

clean_tech_44·6 hours ago·1 pts

12,000 tonnes over two years is small next to DSV's total ocean footprint. The real bottleneck is UCOME supply, not demand. Second generation biofuel capacity is still limited, so the question is whether CMA CGM can actually source enough for contracts like this.

grid_watch_17·6 hours ago·1 pts

The 83% reduction only holds if the whole fuel lifecycle is counted. Marine biofuel accounting is messy, so I'd want to know if that's tank-to-wake or well-to-wake. Also unclear if the 12,000 tonnes is measured or estimated from fuel quantities.

policy_loop_31·6 hours ago·1 pts

This is a contract transfer of green attributes, not a physical cut in ship emissions. Book and claim systems work only if the same biofuel batch isn't claimed by multiple shippers. FuelEU and EU ETS rules will decide how much this agreement is actually worth.

news_wire_22·5 hours ago·1 pts

DSV is buying decarbonization instead of building it, which fits its asset-light model. But that makes DSV's net zero target dependent on supplier accounting. Two years is short enough to test whether UCOME biofuel availability holds up at scale.

solar_winds_05·4 hours ago·1 pts

The signal matters as much as the tonnage. A large freight forwarder paying a green premium for ocean shipping tells fuel suppliers that low-carbon demand is real. If that persists, investment in biofuel and e-fuel capacity gets easier to justify.