Over the past 15 years, Viking Line has succeeded in reducing CO2 emissions from its vessels by nearly a third, the company claimed.
Environmental investments have been made in the Baltic Sea’s climate-smart vessels and in the technology on board every vessel.
‘Viking Glory’ and ‘Viking Grace’ are already equipped to start running on green fuels, which will enable a wholly carbon-neutral service in the future, the company said.
The 25th August was Baltic Sea Day. To celebrate this, Viking Line donated €30,000 from the sale of plastic carrier bags in its tax-free shops to the John Nurminen Foundation.
At the same time, the autumn’s sustainability theme on Viking Line’s vessels, in the terminals and in the company’s communication channels, will be launched with the aim of involving passengers in this important work for the good of the Baltic Sea.
“The Baltic Sea is really important to us Finns in many ways. The Baltic Sea has always been a gateway to the world and to international markets, but also an important provider of experiences and recreation.
“Our feeling for this place gives us an identity that brings together the countries around the Baltic and their residents, and this is something that the John Nurminen Foundation safeguards.
“The Baltic Sea and its condition are of great relevance to Viking Line each and every day. With Viking Line’s support, we can take effective, result-oriented measures to ensure that the Baltic Sea maintains its biodiversity and well-being for future generations as well.
“We believe that proximity to the sea and its importance to people help raise people’s awareness of its condition,” said Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt, John Nurminen Foundation Managing Director.
CO2 emissions from Viking Line’s vessels have decreased by 30% per nautical mile since 2008. One factor behind this is the company’s active environmental work consisting of a wide variety of measures.
The measures that have had the greatest impact are the €450 mill invested in the two most climate-smart vessels on the Baltic Sea: ‘Viking Grace’, which made her maiden voyage in 2013, and ‘Viking Glory’, which entered service in March this year.
“We have mainly achieved emission reductions through innovative technological solutions that are not very visible to passengers. The technology is developing at a rapid pace, and many of these innovations originated in Finland. When ‘Viking Grace’, which is powered by LNG, was placed in service, emissions of nitrogen and particulate matter decreased 85% and greenhouse gas emissions decreased 15%, compared to a vessel that runs on oil.
“Now 10 years later, ‘Glory’ in turn produces 10% fewer emissions than ‘Grace’. Meanwhile, emissions from our older vessels have also decreased, since we update the technology on our vessels throughout their life cycle,” explained Dani Lindberg, Viking Line’s Sustainability Manager.
“We are Finland’s largest maritime transport employer, and our shipping company has the most vessels under a Finnish flag. We also want to be a pioneer in developing and implementing new, environmentally-friendly innovations.
“For example, ‘Grace’ and ‘Glory’ are already equipped to start using biogas or synthetic fuels produced from renewable energy when they become available in the future. That is the next big step towards carbon-neutral maritime traffic,” she added.
Viking Line’s environmental journey began in earnest in the 1980s, when the company started using divers to scrub the bottoms of its vessels instead of using toxic paint. Recycling on board also began some four decades ago.
Since then, the vessels have made the transition to increasingly low-emission fuels and to energy recycling. In port, the vessels have started to be supplied with green land-based power. Fuel efficiency is now taken into account when timetables and routes are planned.
“On board ‘Viking Grace’ alone, the intelligent, need-based ventilation system saves the same amount of energy that all of our offices and warehouses use in one year. And that is just the case of a single technological innovation on one vessel.
“It is also crucial how the vessel is used and operated. The responsibility for this lies with our skilled professional staff, for whom environmental issues have top priority along with safety and security,” she concluded.
