Svitzer EcoTow
Our journey towards a sustainable future
Svitzer has set its sights on going climate-neutral by 2040 with new technology, new vessels, and new fuels. A serious climate commitment that we are undertaking to support your challenging carbon reduction targets.
Introducing Svitzer EcoTow, the world’s first net-zero carbon harbour towage solution based on sustainable fuel. An innovative product that replaces fossil fuels with biofuels — fuels produced from renewable organic material. With Svitzer EcoTow your carbon footprint from harbour towage is neutralised.
How does Svitzer EcoTow work?
Svitzer EcoTow is a carbon reduction add-on sold by Svitzer to all customers, for all ports. Svitzer EcoTow offers you immediate Scope 3 CO2 savings and provides you with an alternative to fossil fuels. The neutralising effect is established by the Round Table for Sustainable Biomaterial (RSB), external auditor and documented through certification & assurance reporting.
Svitzer EcoTow offers two innovative insetting solutions
Regional CO2 reduction – Segregated approach
Svitzer EcoTow provides decarbonised towage services directly to the customers, and with associated certificates.
This option is active only in Svitzer EcoTow ports where biofuels are available.
Global CO2 reduction – Mass balance approach
Svitzer EcoTow compensates for the global towage portfolio of an EcoTow customer by using biofuels savings achieved in its EcoTow ports network.
This solution allows customers to decarbonise their complete towage portfolio.
Why choose Svitzer EcoTow?
Get a Svitzer EcoTow CO2 savings certificate
Add credible proof to your sustainability efforts with the CO2 certificate from Svitzer EcoTow. This document states how many metric tonnes of CO2 emissions your company has saved in a year. It includes important information like the amount of biofuel used, tug assists with associated emissions and detailed information on CO2 saving well-to-wake and tank-to-wake.
Backed by seals of trust and external parties
Svitzer EcoTow is a solution that is backed by some of the most trusted and respected environment and emissions bodies in the world. Their accreditation, verification and proven methodologies are proof that your carbon savings are tangible and real.
International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC)
International Sustainability and Carbon Certification
ISCC is a certification system for all sustainable raw materials and markets, wherein the entire supply chain from raw material to end product is certified and traceable through proof of sustainability documentation.
Global Logistics Emissions Council (GLEC)
Global Logistics Emissions Council
GLEC is a universal method developed for calculating logistics emissions across all transport mediums from road, rail, air and sea to inland waterways and transhipment centres.
External auditors
In order to provide trust and comfort around the Svitzer EcoTow emissions savings in the eyes of customers and other stakeholders interested in Svitzer sustainability agenda, 3rd party audit in accordance with International Standard of Assurance Engagements 3410 (ISAE 3410 – Assurance Engagements on Greenhouse Gas Statements) and provide customers with assurance that:
• Svitzer EcoTow is compliant with requirements worded by RSB;
• Procured and consumed amounts of biomaterials within the reporting period fulfill the requirements of RSB;
• Svitzer EcoTow can document a mass balance for biomaterials for the reporting period that biomaterials
have been procured and consumed on Svitzer vessels to an extent accounting for all decarbonised tug jobs that towards customers are claimed to be carbon neutral.
If you have any more queries feel free to browse through our FAQs
What green fuels do Svitzer EcoTow use today?
Svitzer EcoTow is currently using Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). Biofuel oil is produced using waste oils and fats from food production which is not fit for human or animal consumption. Biofuel is available at reasonable prices and in sufficient quantities, but in limited regions as of today. As market demand increases, so too will the industry supporting it thus improving the production and distribution of biofuel. Svitzer, via Maersk, is currently an active member in the Clean Cargo Working Group (CCWG) and we act as a licensed buyer, blender and user of biofuel. We are monitoring market developments closely to ensure that Svitzer EcoTow can reliably and consistently achieve the CO2 savings promised.
What are the future sustainable fuels that could be used tomorrow?
On climate change, Svitzer’s target is to have net-zero emissions from our towage activities by 2040.
In 2021 we reached several important milestones towards this ambitious target with the launch of Svitzer EcoTow and the order of methanol vessels.
We determined where most of our investments in new fuels will go in the next years, zooming in on potential fuel types based on alcohol (methanol) and Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO). For alcohol and biomethanol, the main advantage is the relatively simple transition from existing ship designs and infrastructure, whereas the main drawback is uncertainty about the availability of biomass feedstock as demand increases.
Furthermore, Svitzer is committed to achieving a 50% reduction in the carbon intensity of our fleet by 2030. The use of alternative fuels is key for us to achieve this ambition. HVO provides us with an immediate practical option to make progress toward that target but we are proactively pursuing other potential fuel options that may bring CO2 reduction benefits in the future. This will help us to secure the availability in the long term for EcoTow services.
I want to try Svitzer EcoTow, what do I do?
As a flexible product, you can choose Svitzer EcoTow in specific EcoTow ports (*Regional Segregated method), for part or the whole of your global towage volume (*Global mass balance method). To try this out, please contact your account manager to add Svitzer EcoTow to your harbour towage coverage.