Safety and environmental policy
The Eckerö Group's safety and environmental policy is that we shall conduct passenger and cargo traffic and its associated operations in a safe and environmentally protective manner. We shall strive to prevent all identified risks with well-adapted work procedures in accordance with international and national laws, regulations, and other requirements for the protection of human life, property, cargo and the environment.
The Eckerö Group shall be a reliable employer where well-being and mutual responsibility are in focus. By using our resources such as personnel, time, materials, supplier services and money, in an efficient way, our economic competitiveness will be maintained while together we safeguard sustainable development, continuous improvement, high safety and the least possible environmental impact.
Structured environment and safety work
Eckerö Linjen conducts its business in accordance with the safety and environmental requirements of the ISM Code. The ISM Code is an international, mandatory regulatory framework for shipping that sets requirements aimed at the safe operation of ships as well as the prevention of pollution from ships.
In addition to the mandatory requirements of the ISM Code and other laws applicable to the business Eckerö Linjen has also chosen to comply with the requirements of the international environmental management system ISO 14001. Eckerö Linjen, together with other companies in the Eckerö Group, is certified according to ISO 14001. The requirements of ISO 14001 aim at continuous improvement of the business' environmental work and reduced environmental impact. M/S Eckerö is also classified according to the Clean Shipping Index (CSI), which is an independent classification of the environmental performance of ships.
The purpose of Eckerö Linjen's environmental and safety work is that it should be a natural part of the daily work. Our goal is the safe operation of the vessel while constantly striving to minimize our environmental impact. Eckerö Linjen's staff go through regular training, and we carry out internal audits to keep the work with safety and the environment at a good level. Compliance with the requirements of ISO 14001, CSI and the ISM Code is also regularly checked by external auditors.
Environmental objectives
Eckerö Linjens has determined in which ways its operations affect the environment and has set goals for the company's environmental work. Eckerö Linjen's main environmental goal is to reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere as a result of burning fossil fuels on board the ship.
The energy efficiency of the ship and machinery, as well as the quality of the fuel, is of great importance in reducing the ship's emissions to air. Eckerö Linjen is continuously working on measures to minimise fuel consumption in order to reduce emissions to air. The measures include, among other things, regular cleaning of the ship's hull, as a hull in good condition reduces friction and thus fuel consumption. Other measures include optimizing the efficiency of the engines, propellers and other equipment on board, as well as continuously reviewing the vessel's consumption and actively selecting more energy-efficient equipment. The use of heating, cooling and ventilation on board is adapted as needed and the equipment is not run unnecessarily.
The most decisive factor in how much fuel the ship consumes is the speed of the ship. This is the main reason why we encourage our guests to arrive to check in at port in good time and thus help us protect the environment by preventing late departure.
Shore power
The ship's electricity is produced by generators connected to the engines. To avoid unnecessary emissions, Eckerö Linjen for many years already use shore power during the night break, which means that we connect the ship to the electricity grids ashore.
Ballast water treatment
To prevent alien species from spreading with ballast water from one port to another Eckerö Linjen has a ballast water treatment plant installed through which all ballast water pumped on board passes before being pumped back into the sea.
Waste, sewage, and chemicals
• All waste is collected, sorted, and brought ashore to an approved facility for reception and treatment of waste. We work continuously to minimize the amount of waste. We try, among other things, to minimize food waste from our restaurants on board.
• The ship has completely closed sewage systems and all sewage is pumped ashore where it is batched on to treatment in municipal treatment plant.
• There is a continuously ongoing process where we try to minimize the amount of chemicals used on board and, if there are alternatives, replace chemicals with more environmentally adapted alternatives. An example of measures taken to minimize the use of chemicals is that we have installed an automatic dosing system for dishwashing detergents. Another example is that we add microbes to our sewage system that help us break down biological residues, keep the pipes in good condition, and prevent blockings without adding chemicals.
• The ship is not painted with bottom paints with additives that prevent fouling. Instead, we have chosen to regularly brush the bottom of the ship.
Solar power at our port office in Grisslehamn
At Eckerö Linjen's port office in Grisslehamn, all our lighting, both indoors and outdoors, is now powered by solar energy from our solar panels. This is part of our commitment to the environment and our goal to reduce our carbon footprint.
Williams Buss
Eckerö Linjen offers our guests to travel by bus to and from the ship. In Åland, this service is managed by the EckeröGroup's bus company Williams buss. Williams Buss is also certified according to ISO 14001 and was the first bus company in Finland to receive an ISO 14 001 certificate for its work with environmental improvement.
