Höegh Autoliners offers customers carbon neutral operations: Sustainable biofuel to make deep sea transportation greener

Höegh Autoliners now offer our customers the possibility of transporting cargo out of Europe while running on 100% advanced biofuels meeting the highest sustainability standards. An important step in Höegh Autoliners' ambitious sustainability strategy to reduce its environmental footprint and another concrete step on our path to zero. BMW Group have already decided to make use of the offer, prompting an important carbon footprint reduction.

Höegh Autoliners is proud to announce that our vessels are now regularly running on sustainable biofuels. And that our customers have the possibility of choosing that option when shipping their cargo.  

This shows how Höegh Autoliners is taking active and decisive measures to minimize our carbon footprint. And that of our customers. The company is constantly working together with our partners to improve our decarbonisation efforts and provide more environmentally friendly transportation solutions. 

"This marks an important step in our long-term commitment to be the leader in carbon neutral deep sea shipping and in our ambitious strategy to reduce our environmental footprint and combat climate change. We are happy to be able to provide our customers with greener deep sea transportation solutions now as a steppingstone on our path to zero. In close collaboration with our partners, we are constantly working on new ways of assisting customers in decarbonising their supply chain," says Andreas Enger, CEO of Höegh Autoliners.  

BMW Group is amongst the OEM's already choosing to ship cargo on ships using these advanced biofuels. The contract between BMW and Höegh Autoliners results in emission reductions of 4.466 MT CO2 equivalents.

Michael Nikolaides, Senior Vice President Production Network and Supply Chain Management BMW Group explains:

"According to the BMW Group's Green Transport Logistics Strategy, we are systematically working on emission-reducing logistics concepts and pilot projects. By 2030 we want to reduce the CO2 footprint per vehicle by at least 40% over the entire life cycle, compared to base year 2019. Thus, pursuing a technology-open approach and close cooperation with our logistics service providers are crucial here."

Sustainable deep sea shipping  

In March 2021, Höegh Autoliners completed its first carbon neutral voyage from Europe to South Africa, when the Horizon class vessel Höegh Trigger ran on advanced biofuels.      

Our biofuel is derived from sustainable waste oil, for example from food manufacturing and industrial applications. The waste oils are collected and go through the biofuel production to generate a sustainable, second-generation marine biofuel. It is virtually free of sulphur oxides and reduces the vessel's net carbon emissions by 100% from tank to air.

In April this year, Höegh Autoliners CEO Andreas Enger was onboard Höegh Trigger while it ran on 100 % carbon neutral biofuel in the English Channel in a test run to make sure everything was completely safe when running on biofuel.  

"It was a fantastic experience being onboard Höegh Trigger while operating 100% carbon neutral biofuel. It was completely like running on fossil fuels - only green. At Höegh Autoliners we never compromise with safety, which is why we have tested the biofuel solution thoroughly. I am happy to be able to provide this green solution for our customers," says Andreas Enger.   

Oskar Orstadius, Chief Sales Officer at Höegh Autoliners, says:     

"Sustainable transportation is at the heart of Höegh Autoliners' vision for the future, and we continue to accelerate our decarbonisation efforts to meet our net zero emissions target by 2040. We have immediate decarbonization options available to customers in addition to a series of Ammonia-ready Aurora class vessels on order to take a clear leadership position in decarbonisation of deep sea automotive transport. With this step we once again show that we do not just talk about being greener. We continue to act on it in our quest to make the maritime industry green."    

Largest and most environmentally friendly 

Höegh Autoliners operates some of the greenest and largest PCTC (Pure Car and Truck Carriers) vessels in the world: The Horizon class vessels can transport up to 8,500 cars and are designed to minimise its impact on the environment. The vessels are equipped with the latest fuel-saving technologies, reducing CO2 emissions per car equivalent unit by 40% compared with standard car carriers. 

In addition to this, Höegh Autoliners have firm orders for the delivery of a series of eight new Aurora class vessels. It is our clear ambition to lead the way towards net zero emissions and have made significant headway with our transformational green fleet renewal strategy.

Our newbuilding program of zero carbon ready Aurora class vessels will have DNVs "ammonia ready" and "methanol ready" notations, making the vessels the first in the segment to be ready to operate on zero carbon ammonia.

Securing the first two vessels already by 2024 - and having firm orders for eight Aurora Class vessels by the first half of 2026 and the options for another eight, Höegh Autoliners is taking a decisive lead towards zero carbon deep sea shipping.      

With a capacity up to 9,100 cars, the industry leading Aurora class will be the world's largest and most environmentally friendly car carriers ever built.       

For more information, please contact:   

Andreas Enger, CEO   
[e-mail]
[phone]    

Oskar Orstadius, CSO  
[e-mail]
[phone]      

Media contact:   
Jakob Stig Dyvik, Head of Communications at Höegh Autoliners  
[e-mail]
[phone]    

BMW Group Media contact:
Martina Hatzel, Spokesperson Production Network and Logistics
[e-mail]
[phone]  

About Höegh Autoliners:

Höegh Autoliners is a leading global provider of RoRo (Roll on Roll off) transportation services delivering cars, high and heavy and breakbulk cargoes across the world. The Company operates around 40 RoRo vessels in global trade systems and makes about 3 000 port calls each year. Our purpose is to develop innovative solutions for greener and more sustainable deep sea transportation. We are on a path to a zero emissions future and are working closely with customers and partners to achieve this. Höegh Autoliners has its head office in Oslo, Norway and employs around 375 people in its 16 offices worldwide and around 1 250 seafarers.   

Höegh Autoliners is proud to be a signatory of the Call to Action for Shipping Decarbonisation. We believe that shipping must and can decarbonise fully by 2050, and we are taking concrete actions towards this goal. But we cannot do it alone, which is why we have joined 150+ industry leaders and organisations in a call to governments to take action and deliver the policies needed to make zero emission shipping a reality.