Wärtsilä, the marine industry’s leading ship power system integrator, is supporting the Baltic Sea Action Group in its rescue mission to save the Baltic Sea. As a business with operations in the Baltic Sea, and being strongly engaged in developing a range of environmental solutions, Wärtsilä is committed to implementing three promises:
1. For five vessels operating in the Baltic Sea on a continuous basis, Wärtsilä will offer free of charge a Pollution Free Shaft Seal for the main propeller shafts when they install a Wärtsilä Scrubber.
2. Wärtsilä will establish a Consultancy Service Concept for charterers, ship owners, classification societies, authorities and other stakeholders in order to increase environmental understanding, and to provide measurable methods for reducing overall pollution from ship operations in the Baltic Sea.
3. Wärtsilä will include extensive Environmental Training in the company’s Wärtsilä Land and Sea Academy training centres. These courses will target ship operators, shipping management companies and crew members in order to increase their environmental awareness.
“In Wärtsilä’s R&D activities, the main focus is the environment. We develop solutions, products and services that reduce the environmental impact of sea transportation. In making this commitment to the Baltic Sea Action Group initiative, we want to highlight our know-how and long-term dedication to the shipping industry. These well targeted concrete actions provide a solid basis upon which operators active in the Baltic Sea can reduce their environmental footprint,” said Christoph Vitzthum, Group Vice President, Wärtsilä Services when addressing the Baltic Sea Action Summit in Helsinki on February 10th.
Wärtsilä’s scrubber is the first and still the only certified technology available for reducing sulphur emissions as per the International Maritime Organization requirements. The pollution free seal being offered as part of the company’s commitment prevents oil leakage from the propulsion shaft. With a conventional seal system normally such leakage can be as much as two litres of lubricating oil per shaft per day.
With approximately 2000 vessels currently navigating the Baltic Sea at any given moment, and with traffic expected to increase to around 3500 vessels by 2015, the Wärtsilä seal can prevent literally thousands of litres of oil from seeping into the sea water.
By providing consultancy services and training courses around its core expertise in the reduction of water and air emissions, Wärtsilä aims to increase general awareness concerning environmental requirements and available solutions.
For further information, please contact:
Mr Atte Palomäki
Group Vice President, Communications & Branding
Wärtsilä Corporation
Tel: +358 10 709 5599
atte.palomaki@wartsila.com
Mr Arnauld Filancia
Director, Marketing & Communications
Wärtsilä Services
Tel: +33 632516969
arnauld.filancia@wartsila.com
Ms Britt-Mari Kullas-Nyman
General Manager, Environmental Services
Wärtsilä Services
Tel: +358 40 5522561
britt-mari.kullas-nyman@wartsila.com
Wärtsilä in brief
Wärtsilä is a global leader in complete lifecycle power solutions for the marine and energy markets. By emphasising technological innovation and total efficiency, Wärtsilä maximises the environmental and economic performance of the vessels and power plants of its customers.
In 2009, Wärtsilä’s net sales totalled EUR 5.3 billion with more than 18,000 employees. The company has operations in 160 locations in 70 countries around the world. Wärtsilä is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Finland.
www.wartsila.com
The Baltic Sea Action Summit
The Baltic Sea Action Summit convenes in Helsinki on February 10th, 2010. Its essential idea is to provide a platform for arriving at practical commitments to save the Baltic Sea. The region's states and corporations and organisations will make concrete commitments, which can be interlinked with HELCOM:s Baltic Sea Action Plan. In November 2007, the countries bordering the sea adopted a road map (the Baltic Sea Action Plan by HELCOM), which indicates the actions required to restore the sea.
Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG)
The Baltic Sea Action Group (BSAG) is a part of the Foundation for a Living Baltic Sea. It is devoted to rescuing the Baltic Sea with carefully chosen projects. BSAG is responsible for the content of the Summit and for gathering the commitments.
