Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics wins Clean Seas Award

Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics wins Clean Seas Award
Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics has won the 'Clean Seas Award' at the prestigious 2007 Lloyd's List Awards for its continuing efforts to reduce the environmental impact of its deep sea operations. It was the only shipping company to be short listed for the award.

The award citation acknowledges that the company significantly cut its sulphur dioxide emissions over a five year period. In 2004 Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics became the first major shipping company in the world to use low sulphur fuel. It is the second year that the company has won the award outright - acknowledging its environmental leadership in the maritime field.

The Lloyd's List Clean Seas award is given "to honour an institution, firm or individual who has made a recognizable contribution to the fight towards reducing the pollution of our oceans from maritime sources."

Through its continuous use of low-sulphur fuel oil, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics is constantly reducing its sulphur dioxide emissions and for the year end 2006, the figure now stands at 75,550 tons - a 33.6% reduction over a six year period between 2001 and 2006.

Lena Blomqvist, Vice President, Environment, said: "This award is important to us because it encapsulates all that we aspire to - a cleaner environment where eco-friendly ships sail the seas."

"Our owners, Wallenius Lines of Sweden and Wilh. Wilhelmsen of Norway, have a high environmental focus and the investments they have made in our company have been instrumental in enabling us to achieve our environmental goals to aspire to a greener future for our children and children's children," commented Mrs Blomqvist.

Other measures taken by the company, with the help of its owners, include trialling the first commercially viable ballast water treatment system, called PureBallast, designed to prevent micro organisms being transplanted from one region to another.

In addition, Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics has altered main engine fuel combustion to minimise emissions; used tin-free bottom paints on hulls; double hulls; changed cooling agents in refrigeration plants; implemented biodegradable oil in the stern tubes; found more environmentally friendly systems to put out fires; put in bilge water treatments achieving content of 5 parts per million (ppm); and employed biocide-free anti-foulants.