Swire Shipping rolls out new carbon insetting program

July 14, 2025, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

Singapore-based shipping company Swire Shipping has launched Voyage to Zero, a carbon insetting program that promises a reduction in Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The program was officially launched by Fiji’s Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Mosese Bulitavu, at a ceremony aboard the containership MV Apia Chief in Suva on July 11, 2025.

As explained, GHG savings are leveraged from second-generation biofuels used on any Swire Shipping vessel.

Carbon insetting allows companies to reduce their carbon footprint by investing in emissions reduction or carbon removal projects within their own value chain or sector. With Voyage to Zero, freight customers can purchase and claim GHG savings from second-generation biofuel voyages (through a book and claim chain of custody model), even if their cargoes are not transported on the same vessel.

Emissions savings are calculated based on comparisons with reference fossil fuels on an energy equivalent basis, using independently verified data.

“The launch of Voyage to Zero, and transition to biofuel, are important steps in our decarbonisation strategy that will allow us to provide greater support to customers looking to reduce their emissions. Though the Pacific Island nations contribute the least to global emissions, they face some of the gravest consequences from climate change. By introducing greener fuels in the South Pacific, we stand united with our Pacific Island partners —sharing in their vision and determination for a resilient, thriving, and sustainable future,” Jeremy Sutton, Chief Executive Officer of Swire Shipping, commented.

In April 2025, the company unveiled that three of its vessels serving the South Pacific had made the switch to B24 second-generation biofuel blends.

The three vessels involved are the Apia Chief and Tonga Chief on the Pacific Weekly Express (PWX) service running direct calls from Southeast Asia to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, New Caledonia and Fiji, and Kokopo Chief on the East Timor (ETS) service which provides direct service every 10 days between Singapore, Dili, Darwin and Surabaya. The vessels currently bunker B24 in Singapore en route to the South Pacific.

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In August last year, the company wrapped up a sustainable B24 biofuel trial on its transpacific service. MV Suva Chief, a containership on the Sun Chief Express Ocean service, was bunkered in Hong Kong with sustainable B24 biofuel, a blend of sustainable biodiesel of waste origin and conventional fuels.