Odfjell presses play for Brazil-Europe green corridor as new zero-emission shipping step

December 15, 2025, by Melisa Cavcic

Norway-headquartered Odfjell Group, a player in seaborne transportation and storage of chemicals and other specialty bulk liquids, has bankrolled and put into operation mode what it describes as the first operational green shipping corridor between Brazil and Europe.

With a fleet comprising approximately 70 ships that trade globally and a tank terminal division encompassing four tank terminals located at select international shipping hubs, Odfjell has launched a new initiative, which is based on certified sustainable biofuel, and perceived to set a benchmark for deep-sea decarbonization, demonstrating that low-carbon solutions are currently available.

As a result, the Norwegian player’s chemical tankers are now sailing the 5,000-nautical-mile route between Brazil and Europe with substantially lower emissions. The corridor will operate 12-15 voyages per year, each lasting around 40 days. This achievement is interpreted to be a practical path to zero-emission shipping.

The company has established an offtake of B24 sustainable biofuel in Rio Grande to secure long-term fuel availability. The Ports of Antwerp, Rotterdam and Rio Grande are working together with the firm to advance the green corridor through increased efficiency and optimized port-stay processes.

Harald Fotland, CEO of Odfjell, commented: “We do this to demonstrate that certified fuel, technology, and infrastructure are already available. Through this, we show that sustainable biofuel is a viable option for deep-sea shipping today.

“With this corridor, we integrate greener fuel as a new pillar in our decarbonization strategy. We activate the entire value chain to find ways to decarbonize our operations, and we are encouraged that key stakeholders are joining us in this groundbreaking initiative.”

The Norway-headquartered company claims to have taken independent action by self-funding the project and moving ahead without subsidies. The firm will bolster this green shipping corridor by collaborating with ports to increase efficiency, customers to maximize capacity utilization, and fuel providers to boost the influx of green fuels.

“By covering the additional cost ourselves, we eliminate the financial element and move directly into operational implementation. It may not be a perfect corridor yet, but a solid start. Its success depends on collaboration across the value chain, and we are committed to developing it further together with relevant stakeholders,” added Fotland.

The currently available sustainable biofuel quality in Brazil is the perceived to be so-called certified B24, a blend of 24% renewable biodiesel derived from waste and 76% VLSFO. The latest initiative aligns with IMO’s 2030 targets, the EU’s Fit for 55 ambitions, and builds on the 2024 Norway-Brazil memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a green, transatlantic shipping corridor.

The introduction of biofuel is seen as another step in Odfjell’s decade-long work to reduce emissions, as the firm has already improved its carbon intensity by more than 54% compared to the 2008 benchmark, achieved through a wide range of technical and operational measures.

“We hope to inspire broader industry action and welcome continued collaboration with regulators, ports, producers, other ship operators, and customers to accelerate the transition to low-emission maritime transport,” underlined Fotland.

Odfjell’s Bow Olympus chemical tanker traversed the Atlantic earlier this year powered by a combination of wind-assisted propulsion and a certified sustainable 100% biofuel, which was deemed to prove how existing technologies and fuels could be paired to accelerate deep-sea shipping’s transition to net-zero emissions.