(JACKSONVILLE, Fla.) — TOTE Group, an industry leader in U.S. transportation and logistics, is enrolling its TOTE Maritime Alaska and its TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico fleets in Green Marine, the leading voluntary environmental certification program for North America’s maritime industry.
With a special fleet of roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) cargo ships, TOTE Maritime Alaska serves the maritime route between Tacoma, Wash., and Anchorage, Alaska. Its highly efficient and dependable custom-built cargo ships for this route are part of TOTE’s commitment to Alaska, its communities and environment since 1975.
TOTE Maritime Puerto Rico routes cargo from across the continental United States through Jacksonville, Fla., to Puerto Rico and elsewhere in the Caribbean, offering critical services to the islands where reliable delivery of goods and supplies are vital. TOTE introduced the world’s first two containerships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) in 2015, specifically for this Puerto Rico trade.
“TOTE’s use of alternative fuels such as LNG dramatically reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a tank-to-wake basis, offering a pathway to decarbonization in the shipping industry,” said TOTE Group President and CEO Tim Nolan. “By utilizing the cleanest, most readily available fuel for shipping today and into the future, TOTE is creating positive outcomes for those we serve and the coastal communities in which we operate.”
Green Marine President David Bolduc saluted TOTE’s environmental vision. “It is with great pride that we welcome such a sustainability pioneer and leader within our certification program,” he said. “I look forward to us learning from each other’s experience.”
Bolduc also noted that the Green Marine program is a good fit for a multifaceted company such as the TOTE Group. “We are very pleased with TOTE’s intention to enroll its terminal operations into the certification process in due course,” he said. “Our program is unique in its certification of both ship activities and landside operations.”
To achieve Green Marine certification, TOTE will assess the environmental performance of its operating fleets through key performance indicators that address such issues as greenhouse gases, ballast water discharge, air emissions, oily water, waste management, underwater noise,and ship recycling. The certification process is rigorous and transparent, with results independently verified every two years, and each participant’s individual performance made public annually.
– Green Marine
