In the transportation sector, the push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is on, across roads, seas, and skies.

Last year, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) committed to decarbonizing global aviation, setting a long-term target of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. This July, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) also announced its goal to reduce total annual greenhouse gas emissions from ships by 30% by 2030 and aims for net-zero emissions by or around 2050. The ultimate objective is to eliminate the transportation industry’s dependence on fossil fuels.

After a 16-year hiatus, Hotai Motor Co. Ltd., Evergreen Marine Corporation, and Eva Airways Corporation made a comeback this year to the prestigious league of Taiwan’s Top 50 corporate citizens in the large enterprise category. Moreover, Hotai Motor, a long-time advocate of shared transportation, secured a spot in the Top 20 of Commonwealth Magazine’s latest Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility Awards.

Peter Pu, managing director of Northeast Asia Region for The British Standards Institution (BSI), highlighted that the transportation sector is now upgrading its fleets to embrace low-carbon energy solutions.

Eva Airways: Aiming to cut 90,000 tons of CO2 emissions through weight reduction

The ICAO and the European Union (EU) are considering proposals that would require airlines to offset their carbon emissions. The push is for airlines to transition to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) made from used cooking oil, replacing fossil-based jet fuel, thereby slashing emissions by up to 80%.

Liu Chia-wen of Eva Airways’ corporate safety management department mentioned that flights departing from Paris now have a mandate to use 1% SAF. Non-compliance leads to penalties.

In a noteworthy move, an Eva Airways flight from Tokyo's Haneda Airport to Matsuyama Airport used 40% SAF, marking the highest percentage for any single flight by a Taiwanese airline to date.

Liu opines that until electric or hydrogen-fueled aircraft become mainstream, SAF remains the most effective solution for airlines striving for net-zero CO2 emissions. However, the challenge lies in SAF's cost, which is 3-4 times higher than regular jet fuel. "It poses significant challenges for airline operators," Liu observes.

Further, the global production capacity for SAF is currently limited. Only a few airports worldwide offer this greener fuel option, with Taiwan yet to introduce it.

In August, an Eva Airways plane added 40% sustainable jet fuel, reaching the record for the highest percentage of low-carbon fuel used by airlines in Taiwan. (Source: EVA AIR)

Nevertheless, Eva Airways, a part of the Evergreen Group, has a 2% SAF goal set for 2025.

Considering the cost of low-carbon fuels, Eva Airways is focusing on reducing any superfluous weight on flights. Printed materials, such as inflight documents, shopping catalogs, newspapers, and magazines, are transitioning to digital formats. Water tanks are no longer filled to capacity; instead, the exact amount required for a flight is calculated. This weight-cutting measure translates to a savings of 28,000 tons of fuel annually, equating to a reduction of 90,000 tons of CO2 emissions.

Liu also shared plans for Eva Airways to gradually integrate more fuel-efficient Boeing 787 aircraft into their fleet, resulting in a projected 20% decrease in fuel consumption on average.

Evergreen Marine: Harnessing Big Data to Efficiently Schedule Sailings and Prevent Port Congestion

In a significant move this July, Evergreen Marine placed an order worth over NT$130 billion for 24 methanol dual-fuel container ships, each boasting a capacity of 16,000 TEU.

Cheng Chih-wen, the CEO of the CR Classification Society, which specializes in renewable energy certification, noted the increasing legislative push from both the EU and IMO. Their constant updates to carbon emission reduction standards are pressing the shipping and automobile sectors to innovate and adopt alternative energy sources.

As a result, global shipping companies are making the shift from heavy fuel oil-powered engines. They're now commissioning dual-fuel vessels that run on natural gas, methanol, ammonia, and even hydrogen.

Evergreen Marine reports that approximately 80% of cargo vessels in international waters are a decade old, lacking in fuel efficiency. Such vessels may need to reduce speed to align with newer emission standards. However, these older ships will eventually face retirement and scrapping.

In the last decade, Evergreen Marine has been progressively updating its fleet to minimize emissions. Currently, around 80% of its 200-strong container ship fleet is less than a decade old. By 2030, the company aspires to halve the carbon dioxide emissions of its fleet.

Still, most international port fuel stations predominantly supply heavy fuel oil. A more widespread adoption of alternative fuels will necessitate upgrading these facilities. Recognizing this, last November, Evergreen Marine invested US$250 million to secure a 100% stake in a container terminal in Panama, ensuring full control over the terminal and its alternative energy provisions.

In collaboration with the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Evergreen Marine dedicated two years to devise a smart scheduling system for carbon reductions. Utilizing big data, this system analyzes various parameters such as ocean currents, port congestion, stowage allocations, and sailing schedules to determine the most fuel-efficient and operationally effective routes.

Wang Chin-hung, a Division Director at ITRI's Electronic and Optoelectronic System Laboratories, emphasized the revolutionary nature of this technology. Previously, adjusting a container ship's route depended on manual calculations and could take up to four days. With the new big data system, route alterations can be completed in just four hours, significantly minimizing the time ships spend waiting in open waters.

Hotai Motor: Elevating Carsharing with 100 Users per Vehicle

Beginning as the exclusive distributor for Toyota, Hotai Motor shifted its focus towards mobility as a service (MaaS) about five years ago.

Wu Pin-tsung, head of Hotai Motor's MaaS advancement division, envisions the company transitioning from merely selling cars to offering comprehensive mobility solutions. This is achieved through a car-sharing platform incorporating the company's fleet, especially in areas where public transport infrastructure is lacking.

Wang Mu-han from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications' Office of Science and Technology Advisors highlighted the inefficiencies in car usage. Most cars remain parked for about 90% of their lifespan. Sharing services could considerably reduce this static period.

Last year, the iRent service boasted a membership of 1.5 million.

Fred Hsieh, President of Hotai Leasing Corporation and chairman of Hoing Mobility Service Co., Ltd., stated that each iRent car can cater to 100 users, transforming short-term rentals into a genuine mass transportation service. A significant portion of subscribers combine iRent with high-speed railway trips, bolstering the use of mass transit systems.

iRent, the carsharing system. (Source: Ming-Tang Huang)

Hsieh disclosed that 36% of their fleet consists of compact hybrid electric vehicles.

Addressing the financial challenges of purely electric vehicles, Wu remarked on their current high costs. If prices decrease in the future, there's potential for a broader transition towards low-carbon transportation.

For the future, iRent hopes to see more private car owners registering their vehicles on their sharing platform. Hsieh envisions unused personal vehicles and surplus vehicles from second-hand dealers joining their car-sharing platform. As he succinctly put it, "Cars that remain stationary are wasteful, irrespective of their location."

To conclude, companies in road, sea, and air transportation face escalating demands to decarbonize their operations. Those that proactively adapt to evolving climate legislation and implement innovative carbon-cutting measures will lead the way forward.

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Translated by Susanne Ganz
Uploaded by Ian Huang