No harm to the oceans

Our approach

As a seafaring business, Stena Line has a responsibility to protect the oceans from harm. Identifying the best course of action is challenging since one action that is positive for one aspect, can be negative for another. Some paints used for hull paints, for example, can be negative for biodiversity but positive for the climate.

Our ambition is to take a leadership position in the maritime industry in this area. Today we go beyond the regulatory requirements of International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), as well as regional and country-level regulations. We are also supporting research to broaden knowledge about the impact of shipping.

Research

• We are supporting research into the impact of shipping on the oceans, such as providing information of water management on our vessels and contributing to what a future proofed port need to look like from a sustainability point of view

Examples of activities today

• We are testing different types of paint on the hulls of our ships.
• We are working to reduce the volumes of detergents with hazardous content.
• We are introducing digital logbooks to improve accuracy and environmental reporting
• We are reducing chemical use onboard. We work continuously to phase out detergents and cleaning agents that contain hazardous substances, replacing them with safer alternatives without compromising operational standards.
• We collaborate with ports in our network to improve facilities for waste, wastewater and sludge reception, ensuring that more materials can be treated onshore.
• We have installed ballast water treatment systems across the fleet. All our vessels are equipped with ballast water treatment systems to prevent the transfer of non-native species between ecosystems.
• We carry out regular underwater hull inspections to reduce biofouling. By increasing the frequency of underwater hull inspections and cleaning, we minimise biofouling, which lowers drag, improves fuel efficiency, and reduces the risk of transporting invasive species.