Finland-based cruise company Viking Line has stated that they have managed to cut CO2 emissions by 30% per nautical mile since 2008. The company ascribes this to relentless innovation and investment in making its operations environment-friendly.
The most significant impact, however, was from the 450 million euro investment in the commission of the VIKING GLORY, which came into service in 2008, and the VIKING GRACE, which arrived in March 2022. Dani Lindberg, Sustainability Manager at the Viking Line, stated that Viking Grace’s intelligent need-based ventilation system alone saves enough energy that could power all of their offices for a year. This was from just one innovation aboard one ship. GLORY and GRACE run on natural gas and are considerably less polluting than conventional fuel alternatives. The newer VIKING GRACE has more advanced Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel engines and a rotor sail system. As a result, the VIKING GRACE is 10% more fuel efficient than even the VIKING GLORY.
The goal of the IMO’s intermediate emission reduction is to reduce 40% of 2008 levels by 2030. Viking Line has been doing its part. Viking has a long legacy of innovating to protect the environment. It traces back to the 1980s when Viking utilized divers to scrub the bottoms of vessels rather than using toxic paint. Since then, the company has started using shore power, switching to low sulphur fuel, and recycling waste. Lindberg highlighted that at Viking Lines, they make changes on their ships throughout their life cycle to make them more environmentally friendly.
The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and not necessarily those of News2Sea.