In a groundbreaking move towards sustainability, Viking Line introduces its latest innovation, the Green Sea Conference, promising to slash greenhouse gas emissions by an impressive 90 percent while catering to the eco-conscious needs of corporate clientele.
Biofuel reduces the climate impact from a Green Sea Conference by 90 per cent.
Each year, Viking Line facilitates approximately 600,000 passengers traveling for group or conference purposes on its vessels. Now, with the implementation of comprehensive sustainability assessments, every aspect of these sea conferences undergoes scrutiny to ensure minimal environmental impact.
After a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, sea conferences are back in vogue, with Viking Line expanding its conference capacity on the Helsinki route. Notably, the return of Viking Cinderella to Finland, alongside Gabriella, further enhances the conference offerings. While typically catering to smaller groups of fewer than 30 attendees, Viking Line vessels also host larger meetings, accommodating up to one thousand participants on occasion.
The Green Sea Conference emerges as a sustainable alternative for conference planners, boasting a remarkable 90 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per participant compared to conventional conference packages. This eco-friendly option is available on all departures of Viking Glory and Viking Grace, the company’s climate-smart vessels operating on the Turku route.
Philip Sjöstrand, Head of Sales at Viking Line, underscores the allure of sea conferences, emphasizing the seamless blend of work and leisure they offer, coupled with the rising demand for physical gatherings post-pandemic. With the Green Sea Conference, Viking Line ensures that these benefits come with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
Marika Immonen, Head of Customer Experience at Viking Line, elaborates on the sustainability initiatives integrated into the conference experience. From serving organic coffee to digitally disseminating information and sourcing ingredients locally, every aspect aligns with eco-friendly practices. Additionally, waste management is a priority, with all waste recycled and food waste repurposed for biogas production.
Engaging corporate customers from the outset, Viking Line incorporates their feedback into the development of Green Sea Conferences. Conference planners opting for this package receive detailed carbon footprint reports, empowering them to make informed choices aligned with their sustainability goals.
Dani Lindberg, Viking Line’s Sustainability Manager, highlights the increasing importance of sustainability in corporate agendas. By choosing Green Sea Conferences, companies demonstrate leadership in environmental stewardship, aligning with both employee expectations and ambitious sustainability targets.
The launch of Green Sea Conferences is the latest milestone in Viking Line’s environmental journey, which spans decades of innovation and commitment to sustainability. From early initiatives like recycling waste to recent advancements in biofuel adoption and energy efficiency, Viking Line continues to lead the maritime industry towards a greener future.
Viking Line’s environmental journey
1980s
• Viking Line stops using toxic paint for the bottoms of its vessels, and divers start cleaning vessel bottoms.
• Recycling waste on board the vessels begins.
• First land-based power supply is placed in service in Stockholm. Today a land-based power supply is also used in Helsinki, Mariehamn and Tallinn.
1990s
• The switch to fuel with a low sulphur content reduces sulphur dioxide emissions.
• The wastewater on board the company’s vessels starts being pumped ashore for treatment.
• Cold seawater is used to cool the ventilation air on board the vessels, and the air on board is heated using energy recovered from flue gases.
2000s
• Viking Line is the first shipping company in the world to use Humid Air Motor technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. By using seawater for cooling, the combustion temperature of the vessel’s engines is lowered.
• Nitrogen oxide emissions on Viking Cinderella are reduced when catalytic converters are installed on the vessel.
• Recycling of organic waste starts on board Viking XPRS.
2010s
• The new vessel Viking Grace uses 100% sulphur-free liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a marine fuel. The climate-smart vessel reduces nitrogen emissions by 85% and greenhouse gas emissions by 15% compared to a vessel that runs on oil. With LNG, there are essentially zero particulate matter emissions.
• Viking Grace tests a rotor sail, thus becoming the world’s first hybrid vessel to use both LNG and wind power. The vessel is equipped with an energy recovery system that converts surplus heat into electricity.
2020s
• Flow regulators are installed on Viking Gabriella and Viking XPRS, which reduces fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
• The new vessel Viking Glory is placed in service in March 2022. The vessel’s engines enable optimal fuel utilization and do not produce any sulphur emissions.
• Thanks to Viking Glory’s Azipod steerable propeller-mounted propulsion system, the vessel is easy to manoeuvre in port, which saves time and fuel. The shape of the vessel’s hull reduces the formation of waves as well as fuel consumption.
• Viking Glory is also a pioneer in utilizing waste cooling from LNG. The energy recovery system generates up to 40% of the electricity the vessel needs for passenger functions.
• Viking Line starts offering passengers on Viking Glory and Viking Grace the option to purchase biogas equivalent to the amount used for their own travel and thus reduce emissions generated by their travel by an average of 90%. Starting in early 2024, climate offset is also included in the company’s Green Sea Conference package, which can be purchased for conference trips on the Turku route.
With the inclusion of climate offset options in the Green Sea Conference package, Viking Line reaffirms its dedication to minimizing environmental impact while offering unparalleled conference experiences.
Source Viking Line