VLI and ALE Combustíveis Operation Marks Entry Into Carbon Credit Market

Last month, the transportation of 751,000 liters of gasoline and diesel owned by ALE Combustíveis between São Luís (MA) and Porto Nacional (TO) in VLI trains marked the logistics company’s entry into the carbon credit market by offsetting the greenhouse gas emissions from this operation. This is a pioneering step in Brazilian rail transport and adds to the decarbonization initiatives of both VLI and ALE.

While rail operations are more sustainable compared to road transport due to lower greenhouse gas emissions, they still impact the environment through the burning of fossil fuels. “VLI is committed to reducing 15% of greenhouse gas emissions per ton by 2030, and we are actively working towards this goal through various decarbonization initiatives. Offsetting emissions is another aspect of our journey, allowing us to mitigate the impacts of our operations while advancing our commitment to innovation and technology,” said Francielle Pedrosa, Sustainability General Manager at VLI.

The idea originated from the latest edition of Inova VLI, the company’s intrapreneurship program, and is known as SemC. The premise is straightforward: companies seeking to offset emissions typically do so by directly purchasing carbon credits from trading platforms. VLI, however, connects carbon credits directly to its rail operations, making the information traceable and auditable while optimizing resources for its clients.

“We intend to scale this approach to other segments, such as grains, sugar, and industrial goods, given the engagement we observe from our clients on this topic,” said João Carlos Apolônio de Souza, Commercial Manager at VLI.

Decarbonization on the Rails

In addition to the new emission offset initiative, VLI maintains several initiatives to reduce emissions from its operations. One example is the Leader, a semi-autonomous locomotive driving system. The estimated fuel savings using the system is projected to be 7%.

Fuelytics is another ongoing energy efficiency initiative at VLI. Like SemC, the idea was developed through Inova VLI and facilitates reducing fuel consumption by prioritizing certain actions indicated through mathematical modeling. The tool has resulted in fuel savings of over 2.5 million liters of diesel since 2020, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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