Sustainable development

Meriaura Group operates in a number of renewable energy and energy efficiency-related projects both on land and offshore. We have also set targets to increase the use of renewable energy and decrease carbon dioxide emissions in our own actions. Developing and implementing of new sustainable forms of energy are one of our ambitions. We are on the right way, but much remains to be done.

Read Meriaura Sustainability report 2023

Pioneer in biofuels at sea

Throughout its history, Meriaura Group has sought to find alternatives to fossil fuels for developing shipping more sustainable. We did our first bio-oil experiment already in 1992 with the tugboat ‘Aura’.

We have verified the usability of 100% biofuel made from recycled raw materials in shipping through long-term tests and with regular use in our own fleet. The work continues with the development of fuel certification and quality standardization.

The bio-oil we use is manufactured by VG EcoFuel Ltd. (a member of Meriaura Group) from recycled oils and by-products of the food industry. Therefore the oil production does not compete against land for agriculture. Waste-based bio-oil is therefore ethically sustainable, and its use reduces ship’s CO2 emissions by up to 97,7% compared to the traditional fossil fuel option. Thanks to the catalyzers nitrogen emissions are also close to zero. Waste-based bio-oil is the most sustainable fuel solution currently available in maritime transport.

Wastewater does not belong into the Baltic Sea

In summer 2019 we started a project for minimizing the environmental footprint of our fleet. The goal of our project is to make the Meriaura owned fleet the least waste producing fleet. Our broader goal is to make this a standard for the whole industry and go far beyond the minimum requirements set by MARPOL.

For several years now, one of our most significant environmental goals has been to discharge ship sewage into port reception facilities. Wastewater that can legally be discharged into the sea still contains nutrients, bacteria, fats, and chemicals after treatment. We want to prevent these from ending up in the sea.

Our environmental program has set a target of delivering 75% of all wastewaters to port reception facilities. The 25% flexibility is used for situations where discharging in port is simply impossible; the ship is on a long voyage and the tank becomes full or the port does not provide suitable reception facilities.

All our vessels complete a monthly tracking form that records each sewage discharge, the location of the vessel at the time of discharge, and the number of cubics discharged. If the discharging must be done at sea due to circumstances, the reason must be explained in the form. The monitoring form enables us to verify both our success in achieving the overall target and to calculate the actual quantities of wastewater delivered ashore on an annual basis.

The ability of ports to handle and receive different waste fractions is in key position in minimizing the environmental strain of ships. We hope that the ports in the Baltic Sea, where facilities to receive waste and recycled materials are still in need of improvement, are willing to take up the challenge. We believe that the opportunity to personally influence the state of the Baltic Sea will motivate all of us.

CO2 emissions followed carefully

Comprehensive emission calculation and reporting, concrete goals and actions for their implementation, high-quality climate units and reliable climate claims are important tools on the way to carbon-neutral maritime traffic.

The biggest source of emissions in our operations is marine fuel. We therefore closely monitor ship emissions and relate them to the transport work performed. During 2021, we developed a software and monitoring system for monitoring CO2 emissions. Emissions per tonne of cargo transported per nautical mile, or “tonne-mile” for short, was selected as the most sensible monitoring unit. We have set an annual emission reduction target of 4 %. Read more about our emissions monitoring work form our Sustainability Report.

Meriaura has been among the first to introduce CO2- emissions reports for customer use. Minimizing the fuel consumption is the key goal when planning a voyage. With Nautic Ai – Fleetrange application we calculate emissions for each voyage performed and per unit shipped. We are able to report to our customers exactly how much fuel was consumed and how much emissions were generated by a specific shipment.

In addition to CO2 emissions, greenhouse gases should be monitored as a whole, and the comparison should take into account, for example, methane emissions caused by LNG, that from a climate perspective may be many times worse than CO2.

Developing more environment friendly ships

Throughout its history, Meriaura Group has had a strong will to develop shipping in a more environmentally friendly direction. During the first bio-oil experiment in 1992, we also started using electricity in port with the tugboat’s own wind and solar energy production.

In the beginning of 21st century, our company had grown to be sufficiently solvent to begin designing its first new building. In 2008, the innovative deck cargo ship “Aura” was completed. The concept has been copied around the world. In 2012, we built the deck cargo ship “Meri”, which was an advanced version of the ‘Aura’, and the world’s first cargo ship designed to use bio-oil. Learning from the experiences with ‘Meri’, we designed the EcoCoaster dry cargo vessels Eeva VG and Mirva VG, which were delivered in 2016. They are very energy-efficient new-generation cargo vessels, with almost half fuel consumption compared to similar size standard vessels. They can use waste-based bio-oil as power source. More environmentally friendly transport solutions have not entered the maritime transport market since our EcoCoasters.

Now Meriaura Group is preparing a new type of transportation concept that aims for 100% carbon and GHG neutrality. Our concept is based on a hybrid propulsion that combines sustainably produced bio-oil and battery technology. Our goal is to bring to market in 2024 the first transportation concept based on renewable energy since the era of large sailing ships.

Involved in building a sustainable society

We want to be in key position in developing sustainable energy. Open deck and heavy cargo carriers Meri and Aura have participated in demanding offshore wind farm and cable installation projects in the Baltic Sea, North Sea and UK. Aura worked 3 years at southern Baltic Sea as offshore wind farm cable laying vessel.

We are major transporter of recycled materials on the Baltic Sea. We want to be involved in building a sustainable society based on circular economy and clean energy.

Energy efficiency in all actions

In all activities we aim at the most energy-efficient solutions. In the shipping business, the most effective energy-saving method is to reduce fuel consumption, and this is carried out in many different ways, eg. precise and accurate route optimization, fuel consumption monitoring and training of personnel.

In 2017 we introduced Nautic Ai -Fleetrange, a new cloud and IoT-techology based program for connecting and visualizing our fleet in real-time. Fleetrange combines i.e. geographic information of our ships with digitalized route planning, which improves chartering and oper- ating efficiency of our fleet.

We are operating in the highly dynamic Baltic Spot- market where voyages are short and changes frequent. With Nautic Ai – Fleetrange we optimize voyage planning, minimize ballast voyages and improve our energy efficiency. Meriaura participated in the development of Fleetrange as a pilot project.

Water protection with gypsum application

Meriaura has been selected as the service provider for transport, distribution and application of gypsum for an environmental project, where gypsum is applied to fields in order to reduce the phosphorus load to the Baltic Sea generated by agriculture.

The customer of this 5-year agreement is the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. During this period, the goal is to treat 50,000 to 85,000 hectares of arable land, which means 200,000 to 340,000 tons of gypsum. The project started in 2020 and is part of the Ministry of the Environment’s Water Protection Improvement Program.

Gypsum treatment presents an important opportunity when it comes to the protection of the Baltic Sea. The impact of gypsum on soil’s ability to absorb phosphorus and to restrict phosphorus leaching into water bodies has been studied in Finland for about ten years. It reduces the runoff of solids and phosphorus into the Baltic Sea and improves the water quality in the sea.

As a result of climate change, increased rainfall and snow-free winters are increasing nutrient run-off from land, worsening eutrophication that is the most serious environmental problem in the Baltic Sea. Phosphorus leaching is strongest in the fields that are sensitive to erosion or have abundant phosphorus reserves. The fields of southwestern Finland are one of the significant sources of pollution listed by the Baltic Sea Protection Commission HELCOM. With the help of gypsum, the phosphorus leaching of the field can be cut quickly, as the effect of gypsum begins immediately after it dissolves in the ground. The method is also cost-effective.

The gypsum application is seen as a project of social and environmental responsibility. With our strict pricing, the project can cover a larger area of arable land, which in practice means that the same money will have a greater impact on water protection.

Investments in circular economy and clean tech

Meriaura Group has invested in building a bioenergy solution based on closed circulation where waste, waste energy, nutrients and CO2 are used and recycled back to the energy and food production. The unique ecosystem located in Uusikaupunki includes a land based, RAS technology aquaculture plant, greenhouse, bio gas plant and bio oil production plant. Our aim is to make the energy and food chain as carbon neutral as possible.

Waste-based bio-oils are a sustainable alternative to virgin bio-oils, because the oil production does not compete with food production, and raw materials come close. For our bio fuel production we collect e.g. used cooking oils from restaurants all over Finland.

Atmosmare -foundation

Atmosmare Foundation is an organisation which develops and tests methods and techniques to minimise the negative effects of climate change.