The Finnish marine technology firm Wärtsilä has set a goal of becoming carbon neutral in its own operations and of providing products that will be ready for zero-carbon fuels by 2030.
Wärtsilä’s “Set for 30” carbon neutrality commitment covers direct greenhouse gas emissions from the company’s own operations, including the research and development and factory engine testing areas (scope 1*), as well as purchased energy (scope 2**).
Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO of Wärtsilä, comments: “These new ambitious “Set for 30” climate targets demonstrate our commitment to our purpose of enabling sustainable societies. Our aim is to support our customers on their decarbonisation journey, thereby shaping a sustainable future for the marine and energy sectors. Our products, solutions and services will meet stringent environmental requirements, and the fuel flexibility of our engines powering these sectors is key for enabling the transformation. In parallel we also need to do our part as an organisation and minimise our own environmental footprint.”
Wärtsilä’s decarbonisation roadmap is based on a company-initiated analysis to identify the key measures for reaching the carbon neutrality target. The toolbox includes measures such as energy savings, green electricity purchases, switching fuels, the use of more efficient technologies, and the use of offsets for emissions hard to abate. A detailed implementation plan and timeline is currently being worked on.
For decades, Wärtsilä has systematically been focusing on energy savings and reducing its emissions. Becoming carbon neutral requires a holistic approach: “Setting a carbon neutrality target is a necessary milestone for any company. We, as an organisation, are ready for this challenge and understand that these targets represent the first phase of our decarbonisation journey,” says Kari Hietanen, Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations and Legal Affairs at Wärtsilä.
A product portfolio which is ready for zero-carbon fuels by 2030
The second key climate target relates to Wärtsilä’s product portfolio and its readiness for zero-carbon fuels by 2030. The energy and marine sectors still rely on the use of fossil fuels. Wärtsilä’s current portfolio already enables its customers to switch to carbon neutral fuels, such as biofuels or synthetic methane. The transition from fossil fuels to carbon neutral or carbon-free fuels will happen gradually. Wärtsilä enables this transition by providing technologies that allow its customers to use more sustainable fuels once these become available.
In July 2021, Wärtsilä launched a major test programme towards carbon-free solutions with hydrogen and ammonia fuels. Wärtsilä’s fuel agnostic approach enables the company to support the energy and marine sectors in shaping sustainable and efficient future fuel strategies in several cost-optimal steps.
“Wärtsilä has invested a lot in R&D and has made a long-term effort in product development focusing on fuel flexibility, energy efficiency, and emissions reduction. This is a natural step in our aim to shape the decarbonisation of marine and energy,” says Håkan Agnevall.
I* Scope 1 includes direct GHG emissions that occur from Wärtsilä’s own operations: e.g. engine tests, own vehicles and energy generation.
** Scope 2 includes indirect GHG emissions from electricity, heat or cooling generation purchased from utilities.
