ESL renewable first in Finland
(Posted on 15/06/20)
ESL Shipping, the leading carrier of dry bulk cargoes in the Baltic region, today announced that its vessel m/s Viikki was fueled in Raahe, Finland with 100% renewable liquefied biogas (LBG) to transport iron ore for the Swedish steel company SSAB. This marks the first time when 100% renewable LBG is used in maritime transport in Finland. LBG reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85 per cent compared to fossil fuels. The biogas was supplied by Nordic gas sector and energy market expert Gasum.
“This marks another milestone in our long continuum of sustainability-related investments and actions of recent years. ESL Shipping is committed to reducing emissions, and we believe that the ambitious targets set by our industry, 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050, can only be reached by using a wide range of alternative fuels. We have been doing long-term environmental work together with SSAB for years and now we are taking a new, significant step towards fossil-free maritime transport,” says Mikki Koskinen, Managing Director of ESL Shipping.
The wider deployment of biogas has been delayed by the relatively limited availability of biogas. There is also the cost factor to consider but nowadays more and more companies are seeing the value of reducing emissions throughout their supply chains. One of the forerunners is SSAB who aims to bring fossil-free steel to the market as the world's first steel company as early as 2026. The entire company's operations are scheduled to be fossil-free by 2045.
“Completely fossil-free operations require that fossil fuels have also been removed from transportation,” notes Harri Leppänen, Director, Environment and Safety at SSAB.
ESL Shipping has made significant investments to improve the energy efficiency and eco-friendliness of its fleet. The LNG-fueled newbuilding m/s Viikki and its sister vessel Haaga, both delivered in 2018, are the eco-friendliest dry bulk cargo vessels in the world.
ESL Shipping’s LNG fuelled vessels Viikki and Haaga are part of Bothnia Bulk project co-funded by the EU. Its goal is to modernize the sea route between Luleå, Oxelösund and Raahe to be more eco-friendly. In addition, environmental emissions will decrease at port with the improved availability of shore-side electricity.
Latest News
Weathernews and Lauritzen Bulkers sign new 3-year contract
(Posted on 12/09/24)Weathernews, a global leader in weather intelligence and maritime solutions, has to announced a new... Read more
Decrease in medical disembarkations thanks to proactive health measures
(Posted on 12/09/24)Columbia Shipmanagement (CSM), a member of the Columbia Group, is reporting a noticeable decrease in... Read more
Mintra secures DNV certifications for Trainingportal and Seably platforms
(Posted on 12/09/24)Mintra, a leading provider of digital learning and human capital management solutions to the maritime... Read more
Partnership to provide mental health training for officers
(Posted on 12/09/24)Global marine services provider Oceanic, through its SeaMed24 Medical Solutions, will offer VIKAND&rsquo... Read more
Whitepaper highlights EU directives to put seafarer welfare in spotlight
(Posted on 08/09/24)VIKAND, in collaboration with other key maritime stakeholders, has published an analysis to advise the... Read more
ClassNK releases report ‘ClassNK Alternative Fuels Insight (Version 2.0)’
(Posted on 08/09/24)ClassNK has updated its report ‘ClassNK Alternative Fuels Insight’ initially released in... Read more
Technology key to reducing maritime emissions, DNV report
(Posted on 03/09/24)Reaching shipping’s 2030 decarbonization goal of 20% emission reductions, set by the International... Read more
AtoB@C Shipping christens Stellamar in Ystad
(Posted on 03/09/24)AtoB@C Shipping, a subsidiary of ESL Shipping, celebrated the christening of its second plug-in hybrid... Read more
ClassNK publishes estimated leak frequencies of ammonia fuel
(Posted on 03/09/24)ClassNK has published estimated leak frequencies of ammonia fuel from onboard components for ammonia... Read more
Tomini and Alpina announce transition in commercial management
(Posted on 27/08/24)The proprietors of dry bulk ship owner, Tomini Group and Alpina Chartering ApS have announced... Read more