Brad Johnson, Caterpillar Marine vice chairman and normal supervisor of marine (left), and Kasper Karlsen, world chief working officer of Svitzer.
Focusing on options that can allow it to make the most of dual-fuel methanol engines in its fleet, the Maersk Group’s towage operator, Svitzer, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Caterpillar Marine, that covers conversions of current Cat powered tugs, which comprise the vast majority of Svitzer’s fleet, in addition to new engines.
With a relationship between the 2 firms that goes again a long time, the settlement marks the following step on a journey that has included initiatives such because the adoption of biofuels within the EcoTow venture, which has seen Svitzer’s total fleets in London, Felixstowe, and Southampton efficiently change to low carbon biofuels, resulting in its being rolled out in additional areas.
Following the Cat 3500-E series methanol-readiness announcement in September 2022, the MOU formalizes the collaboration to deploy engine applied sciences that allow Svitzer to make the most of methanol, which will be produced from renewable power sources to cut back lifecycle greenhouse gasoline emissions.
“Svitzer has a significant fleet of vessels powered by Cat systems, as well as ambitious decarbonization targets for our future fleet,” stated Kasper Karlsen, world chief working officer of Svitzer. “It is therefore of utmost importance that we join forces with strategic collaborators, such as Caterpillar Marine, to find solutions for both existing and future vessels.”
With a targeted technique on sustainability, Svitzer is making pragmatic selections to help reductions in carbon depth within the maritime trade, aiming to realize a 50% discount within the CO2 depth of its total fleet by 2030 and turn into CO2 impartial throughout all scopes by 2040, consistent with the ambition of its dad or mum Maersk Group.
“Many companies within the industry are exploring methods and solutions that can be incorporated today while also determining viable options for the future,” stated Brad Johnson, Caterpillar Marine vice chairman and normal supervisor of marine. “The collaboration between Caterpillar and Svitzer is an important step towards implementing the solutions that support their decarbonization strategy.”
“Given the size and complexity of our fleet and the ambitious target we have set of becoming carbon neutral in 2040, it is critical to take a holistic approach to reducing our CO2 emissions. While we seek to mature and utilize new technologies, fuel types and operational approaches for new vessels, we also have to find solutions that help reduce the emissions from our existing fleet. The support Caterpillar provides in finding ways of converting our equipment to methanol usage plays a key role in this” says Gareth Prowse, head of decarbonization for Svitzer.
“The focus of our collaboration is two-fold. We are supporting Svitzer to enable tugs to operate on methanol with diesel-like performance while providing fuel flexibility which is key to enabling operators to lower their carbon intensity via green methanol as availability increases. Additionally, we’re taking full advantage of the learnings to provide conversion solutions for the existing fleet. This is a critical aspect to reach the level of methanol adoption that Svitzer seeks to fulfill their goals,” stated Andres Perez, world tug section supervisor, Caterpillar Marine.
Brad Johnson, Caterpillar Marine vice chairman and normal supervisor of marine (left), and Kasper Karlsen, world chief working officer of Svitzer.
