ONE cuts scope one emissions by 62%

ONE reported a 62% reduction in its scope one emissions intensity, and said it was on course to reach its target of reducing scope one emissions by 70% on a teu-km basis compared to 2008 levels.

Emissions fell by 21% from 2018 to 2023, said ONE. Its ultimate goal is net zero emissions across scopes one, two, and three by 2050.

Among its decarbonisation initiatives, ONE listed a wind propulsion trial launched in November 2023, the installation of a bow windshield in January 2023, its latest biofuel trial, and the order of a dozen 13,000 teu methanol dual-fuel container ships in January 2024, with the ships scheduled for delivery from 2027.

In January 2024, ONE collaborated with Econowind on a trial of its containerised wind assist devices, known as VentoFoil containers, installing two of the units on 1,036 teu feeder MV Kalamazoo. The six-month trial allows for the monitoring of the impact on fuel consumption and emissions; each VentoFoil can potentially generate up to 400 kW of energy, reducing fuel consumption by up to 5%, said ONE.

The company also noted it was awarded an approval in principle for an ammonia dual-fuelled vessel, and that it was studying carbon capture and storage installations.

ONE conducted trials of onshore power supply (OPS) in Asia in 2023, going on to use OPS at Yantian International Container Terminal in China, where ONE Integrity was supplied with 25 hours of continuous power, totalling to 42,000 kWh of electricity. OPS is likely to become a more common consideration for container lines, as the US, EU and China roll out rules to cut emissions at berth.

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“This has proven to be effective in reducing our scope one emissions despite incurring an increase in scope two emissions,” ONE said on the use of OPS. “We expect to increase the use of alternative marine power in the next financial year.”

Addressing the emissions of traditionally-fuelled vessels, ONE successfully completed its fourth biofuel trial on board MOL Endowment in January 2023. Of 992 tonnes of biofuel blend used, 214.14 tonnes was biofuel, or around 21%. The 118 tonnes of biogenic CO2 emissions are reported separately from scope one emissions, utilisting lifecycle emissions factors certified by ISCC and in compliance with the EU RED guidelines.

Biofuels reduce emissions by using fuels derived from renewable plants and algae. By sourcing the fuel’s carbon content from plants which capture CO2 during their growth, the lifecycle emissions are significantly reduced compared to fossil fuels, which release carbon that was previously stored underground.

"The maritime industry has already begun to face the severe impacts of climate change through extreme weather leading to port damage, loss of cargo and shipping delays. Addressing climate change would be a monumental effort with the critical transition towards sustainable shipping,” said CEO Jeremy Nixon.

ONE's 2024 Sustainability Report is available to download from the ONE website.