As a shipping company on the Åland Islands, the sea is our livelihood and promoting its well-being is important to us. We want to be the forerunner in utilising new solutions that reduce our environmental impact.
The sea and the archipelago have, of course, been very important to Viking Line for many decades. Our actual environmental work began in the 1980s as our fleet was being renewed and expanded. Our environmental work has since become a natural part of our decision-making and daily work.
Viking Line's environmental work takes many forms. On these pages, you can learn more about
Viking Line operates in a sensitive marine region. The Group therefore works each day to ensure that the Baltic Sea and its precious archipelagos are conserved for future generations too.
For quite some time now, Viking Line has sought out more environmentally-sustainable technology, implemented fuel-saving programmes and introduced new environmentally-sustainable concepts on board. The Group intends for its environmental work to be a natural part of its day-to-day work and to continuously evolve. Thanks to its long-term, active commitment, the Group has developed environmental work that extends beyond what the regulations in force require.
One important element of this work is the environmentally-sound management of residual products from our operations. Out other objectives include preventing the occurrence of pollution in order to reduce the environmental impact of our operations on the Baltic Sea. We achieve this by minimising discharges into the sea and air and by optimising our use of raw materials. Our efforts also include increasing the re-use and recycling of materials in order to reduce the quantity of waste. All solid waste is brought ashore, and for several decades now all wastewater has been pumped ashore in port to municipal treatment plants.
Viking Line actively participates in efforts to save the Baltic Sea by supporting and collaborating with various environmental organisations.
In this way, our operations show respect for the archipelagos and to the marine environment our vessels sail through.
Jan Hanses
President and CEO
VESSELS | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Volumes | |||
Passengers | 4,945,564 | 2,315,137 | 1,927,302 |
Cars | 630,651 | 442,484 | 356,809 |
Cargo units | 117,777 | 129,278 | 125,693 |
Total distance (000 km) | 1,083 | 877 | 802 |
Resource consumption | |||
Fuel oil (tonnes) | 74,478 | 51,003 | 51,698 |
Lubricating oil (m³) | 432 | 432 | 398 |
Urea (m³) | 40 | 151 | 240 |
Fresh water (m³) | 237,737 | 133,832 | 125,663 |
LNG (tonnes) | 12,155 | 12,523 | 14,609 |
Emissions (tonnes) | |||
Nitrogen oxides (NOx) | 4,278 | 2,909 | 2,532 |
Sulphur oxides (SOx) | 134 | 104 | 93 |
Carbon dioxide (CO2) | 267,701 | 217,418 | 203,074 |
Residual products (tonnes) | |||
Solid waste for combustion | 1,577 | 1,030 | 1,065 |
Waste sent to landfills | 86 | 31 | 67 |
Waste for recycling | 757 | 388 | 464 |
Biowaste | 1,307 | 494 | 470 |
Hazardous waste | 17 | 18 | 36 |
Wastewater pumped ashore (m³) | |||
Grey and black water | 222,311 | 131,116 | 120,717 |
Bilge water | 5,787 | 5,409 | 7,148 |
Waste oil (m³) | 1,048 | 1,058 | 977 |
VIKING LINE BUSS AB | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
Number of kilometres driven | 865,973 | 655,987 | 681,084 |
Amount of diesel consumed (litres) | 271,811 | 204,650 | 196,870 |
Water use (m³) | 362 | 274 | 325 |
Garage electrical consumption (kWh) | 55,324 | 65,584 | 67,935 |
These are some ways in which we are reducing our climate impact:
Decatrip, a joint project between Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC), which operates the Rauma shipyard, cruise ferry operator Viking Line, Åbo Akademi and Kempower, a manufacturer of electric vehicle charging technology, received EUR 1,596,000 in funding from Business Finland on 9 September 2022. The goal of the Decatrip project is to develop a so-called green corridor between Stockholm and Turku, along which freight and passengers will travel in a carbon-neutral manner.
The support granted by Business Finland is aimed at RMC, Åbo Akademi and Kempower. Viking Line, on the other hand, being registered in Åland, received support for the project from the government of Åland, as Business Finland is not permitted to support a company based in Åland.
In the first phase, the project aims to make the sea corridor operated by Viking Line carbon neutral. Within the framework of the project, RMC shall develop energy-efficient solutions for the carbon-neutral operation of ships and, together with Kempower, for charging electric vehicles on board. The task of Åbo Akademi, the project's research partner, is to assess the social benefits of the green transport corridor more broadly. The project is being coordinated by the PBI Research Institute. The fuel that will enable the green sea corridor is to be produced locally in Southwest Finland.
Visit Finland has granted Viking Line the right to use the Sustainable Travel Finland label for responsible travel services. The label is a recognition of the work we have been doing since the 1980s. With it, we also support Visit Finland's goals and, for our part, promote Finland's reputation as a responsible travel destination.