The Spirit of Tasmania fleet will be the first Australian-based vessels to benchmark their environmental performance for continual improvement using the Green Marine environmental certification program.
Spirit of Tasmania (operated by TT-Line Company Pty Ltd), which provides both passenger and freight services between mainland Australia and Tasmania aboard the two Spirit of Tasmania ferries, has joined Green Marine as its first participant in Australia.
By enrolling in Green Marine, the ferry operator has committed to implementing best practices that go beyond regulatory requirements, thereby demonstrating its commitment to environmental stewardship.
“We are thrilled to serve as trailblazers in our region to experiment and then share a new tool with our marine industry to achieve greater sustainability,” said Bernard Dwyer, Spirit of Tasmania’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director.
David Bolduc, Green Marine’s President, praised Spirit of Tasmania’s decision to join Green Marine and help pilot the certification program for a new region as a clear illustration of its commitment to greater sustainability and environmental stewardship.
“It’s exciting to have Green Marine expand its presence to a new continent while our program is celebrating its 15th anniversary,” Mr. Bolduc said. “This new milestone is a testimony to how our tailormade program for the marine industry is adaptable to all types and sizes of maritime operations and can be exported globally wherever there is a strong commitment from a local participant to improve environmental performance.”
Spirit of Tasmania will perform its first self-evaluation this spring, using the program’s detailed framework to benchmark its 2022 operations. This will serve as a pilot project to adapt Green Marine program’s applicability to a domestic Australian ship owner.
Spirit of Tasmania will take delivery of two new vessels next year. Their greater capacity and efficiency will further lower the fleet’s environmental footprint in regularly transporting passengers and freight.
“Our current Spirit of Tasmania vessels remain highly regarded on the international ship market, as they fully comply with the International Maritime Organization’s global cap on sulphur emissions and benefit from a rigorous maintenance schedule,” Mr. Dwyer said. “These new vessels will allow for even more sustainable operations on Bass Strait.”
Green Marine was established in 2007 in North America and expanded to Europe in 2020 with the consistent mission to advance environmental excellence in the maritime industry by encouraging participants to voluntarily implement sustainable best practices and technological innovations beyond regulatory compliance.
“As we expand our presence internationally, we remain committed to holding all of our participants to the same level of rigor and transparency in reporting their progress beyond their region’s environmental regulations,” Bolduc emphasized. “We look forward to working with Spirit of Tasmania and hope other Australian participants soon to further drive positive environmental change in the industry worldwide.”
Spirit of Tasmania delivers an unparalleled and unique sea transport service across Bass Strait, which separates Victoria, Australia, from the island of Tasmania to the south. The service is built on a reputation for excellence in safety, reliability and exceptional passenger and freight services.
(Photo from TT-Line Company)
