OurWay
SOYA GROUP NEWS
NEWS, VIEWS & INSPIRATION FROM THE SOYA GROUP
Y PERSOUR O COPYNAL
Fish farming: clean water nets profits in China.
The quest for
PURE WATER SAVING ENERGY Cutting kilowatts with H채sselby Hem
WATERFRONT LIVING A unique solution for housing Stockholm's students
TEAMWORK Job sharing at sea and on shore
No.2 2013
EDITORIAL
We’re on track WE SALUTE AND THANK YOU for the positive feedback we
r eceived after the first issue of Our Way, bringing it with us into this edition. Once again, we have filled Our Way with reports on specific business activities, visions for the future and a few voices about our business from the world around us. The journey ahead for Wallenius Water is undeniably ex citing and challenging; especially in light of China's growing national commitment to the environment, from the politi cal arena and now from a developing grass roots movement. The political ambition to change course and create a more sustainable Chinese society is becoming increasingly clear. Water that has been purified and recycled by Wallenius Water and used in fish farms is an excellent practical contribution to a more environmentally efficient way of doing business. SWEDISH MARITIME POLICIES
have, according to many in the industry, been notice ably absent in recent years. Swedish shipping compa nies have requested a clear level of a mbition, long-term maritime policies and a number of tangible meas ures, necessary to move forward. Now, however, the Swedish Minister for Infrastructure, Catharina Elmsäter-Swärd, has presented an action plan, which is meant to help Swedish merchant navy regain its competitiveness. But what does it really mean? Read what the President of Wallenius Shipping & Logistics, the unions and the Swedish Shipowners’ A ssociation think.
WE SALUTE AND THANK YOU FOR THE POSITIVE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED AFTER THE FIRST ISSUE OF OUR WAY.“
anyone’s notice that the Soya Group's operations work with a major focus on improving their environmental efficiency. For the property part of the group, this largely means reducing energy consumption. The measures that Wallfast have implemented in a very short space of time have given quick and impressive results, which affect both the financial results and the environment in a positive way. It becomes more and more obvious that an environmental focus actually improves your business. NOT the opposite.
OurWay No.2 2013
Our Way is the magazine of the Soya Group. We aim to show the diverse range of businesses and industries that make up our world, how and why. Our aim is to inform, educate and inspire. Most of all, we want to show how proud we are, across all our companies, of the way we do things: Our Way.
Published by Soya Group Editor in Chief & Publisher Cecilia Kolga Publisher responsible under Swedish press law Editorial production Spoon, Stockholm Editor Rob Hincks Art Director David Eide Printer Trydells, Sweden
If you have any comments or questions related to Our Way, please email: ourway@soyagroup.com ~ Copyright Texts and images in Our Way may not be republished without permission from the editor or publisher responsible. ~ Next issue November 2013
SOYA GROUP CONTACT DETAILS: Cecilia.Kolga@soyagroup.com
ABOUT SOYA GROUP
The Soya Group is a generic name for a group of companies active in several different areas: shipping and logistics, water purification, real estate, business aviation and horse trotting. The foundation of the Soya Group was laid by Olof Wallenius in 1922, when he founded a wholesale business. Today, some 1,500 people work in the Soya Group companies, in Europe, the US and in Asia.
IT CAN’T HAVE ESCAPED
Front cover: Farmed turbot from Tianjin, China. Photo: Stefen Chow
See you next time. PH OTO: O LO F H O L DAR
2
OUR WAY 2/2013
CECILIA KOLGA
vice president & head of corporate communications
A GREEN MAGAZINE This magazine is produced in accordance with the Nordic eco labelling system, the Swan.
CONTENTS
4
OPENING SHOT Building a better future, minute by minute.
6
GROUP NEWS Innovative housing 足solutions, new environmental certification plus a helping hand for children in need.
13
THEME: PURE WATER Expert opinion Seafood ecologist John Volpe highlights the 足opportunities, as well as the pitfalls, in the Chinese aquaculture industry.
8
16
PROBLEM SOLVED Sky-high energy consumption called for a smart solution. Wallfast rose to the challenge.
THEME: PURE WATER
The global water supply is dwindling fast. Wallenius Water is working hard to save it, on land as well as out on the ocean.
22
18
18
TEAMWORK Two captains, one 足position: a new job 足sharing scheme has proved a great success for all.
20
THIS MUCH I KNOW A helping hand for those in need.
21
IN FOCUS
22
AT THE STUD FARM
23
NEWS
SOYA GROUP OVERVIEW
OUR WAY 2/2013
3
OPENING SHOT Cisterna has owned the land on which the sports hall is being built since the 1930's. The hall, due to open Autumn 2013 will cover 1,500 m2, over two floors.
4
OUR WAY 2/2013
P H OTO : DAVI D MAG NU S S O N
11:27
Wednesday April 10th Sheet metal worker Andreas Högbom gets help from carpenter Andreas Börgel to ensure everything is safe up on the roof of a new sports hall being built on Lidingö, Stockholm. The facility will be used by local schools and community members.
GROUP NEWS
OUR WAY 2/2013
5
GROUP NEWS SHIPPING
Targeting the Environment Care for the environment has top priority for Walle nius Shipping & Logistics. Our aim is simple: stay ahead of the legislation. That is why as early as the mid 1990s ambitious environmental targets were put in place for the Soya Group's shipping operation. Here are some of the targets.
I L LU ST RAT I O N : T I L L B E R G D E S I G N
WA L LFAST
A unique idea for student housing Grand Campus, the project to refit a Wallenius vessel to become floating student accommodation, has taken an important step forward. In February, Wallfast was granted permission from the City of Stockholm to begin planning for the construction.
T PH OTO : STO CK HO L MS H AMNA R
6
he idea of converting a de-commissioned Wallenius vessel into student housing has been around since 1999. Many discussions have taken place about where the boat could be located and how the renovation would be undertaken. ”Our vision to build a student boat began more than ten years ago,” says Mikael Eskils, President, Wallfast. ”But now the City of Stockholm is more positive than ever. Getting this land designation means that we have exclusive rights to negotiate with the city over the next two years.” But there are still hurdles in place. For the project to succeed, a solution is required to the noise problem in the Värta area, where the land has been designated. Currently it is classified
OUR WAY 2/2013
“GETTING THIS LAND DESIGNATION MEANS THAT WE HAVE EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO NEGOTIATE WITH THE CITY OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.“ Mikael Eskils, President, Wallfast.
as an industrial area and is not suitable for housing. In addition, the container traffic in Värtahamnen harbour needs to be moved to Nynäshamn harbour, a move not likely to happen before 2017. ”It is a very complex project,” says Eskils, ”and there are many obstacles before we can start construction. But getting this land allocation takes the project in a positive direction, and that is very positive.” z Värtahamnen in Stockholm.
Helena Gyllenskepp
30%
Decrease in carbon dioxide output between 2007 and 2015.
1.5%
Maximum average sulphur content in fuel at sea.
100% Ballast water treatment system installed on all vessels by 2015.
0.2%
Maximum average sulphur content in fuel in port.
40%
Reduction in nitrogen oxides between 2008 and 2015.
Wallenius Marine provides an internship where cadets feel safe and are given the opportunity to grow and prepare for a future as Officers onboard. Wallenius Marine awarded Best internship for cadets 2012.
WA L L E N I US WAT E R
Wallenius Water is certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 At the start of 2013 Wallenius Water was certified to ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environment). The certification audit was the culmination of a great improvement process that has been ongoing for a number of years.
WALLE N I US WAT E R
A Powerful New Deal Wallenius Water and Westinghouse Electric Sweden have signed an agreement for water purification solutions for nuclear power plants.
P H OTO : L I V Ö B E RG
During this time Wallenius Water has put a lot of time and effort into creating a tool to become a more efficient organisation, meeting customers’ and stakeholders’ expectations for quality and environment. From the beginning, the process involved groups of co-workers, showing the full commitment this sort of project needs to succeed; all under the supervision of the company's Quality Manager, Elisabeth Egerblom. ”I am very pleased that the project has progressed according to plan and that everyone at Wallenius Water has been committed and motivated to work towards getting the certifications,” she says. ”This means we have confirmed that we have an effective system for
management and control of quality and environmental issues. We want to be sure that our customers are happy with what we deliver and that the environmental impact is constantly decreasing,” adds Torkel Elgh, President at Wallenius Water. Wallenius Water uses a web-based management system where all important information about how the company works can be found: processes, procedures, templates and checklists, all in a user-friendly interface. z Liv Öberg
Elisabeth Egerblom, Quality Manager and Torkel Elgh, President, Wallenius Water.
Westinghouse Sweden is part of Westinghouse Electric Company, which is part of the global Toshiba-group. Westinghouse’s technology is the basis for nearly half of the world's electricity producing nuclear power plants. The company has built every commercial nuclear power plant in Sweden, and two in Finland. The chemical-free water purification technology that Wallenius Water has developed can be applied in many different ways in the nuclear industry, for example by preventing seawater coolers clogging up with algae, by purifying water in cisterns and tanks, by protecting against legionella in hot water circuits, or by breaking down carbon compounds in the water plant. z
THEME: WATER
WA L LE N I US M A R INE In 2012, Wallenius Marine gave financial support to construct a new school building in the Manila area. This school will host a programme which aims at feeding malnourished pupils, as well as for nursing mothers during disaster evacuations. The donation was organised
through Wallenius Marine’s crewing manager PTC’s philanthropic branch CSJ in the Philippines. The PTC-CSJ Foundation was organised in 2010. Guided by the motto “Moving Hearts to Action”, the Foundation is committed to help propel change and uplift the lives of underprivi-
leged and marginalised sectors of society. The new school building was formally turned over to the school administration by Wallenius Marine Executive Vice President Jan Berglöw and PTC-CSJ President Carla Limcaoco on March 11, 2013. z
Wallenius Marine has funded a new classroom in the Philippines.
PH OTO : R O NAL D MACAL I NTAL
Wallenius contributes to school programme
OUR WAY 2/2013
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THEME | PURE WATER
WALLENIUS COOLANT SYSTEM
WALLENIUS RAS SYSTEM
Coolants used in industrial manufacture build up bacteria and moulds that constitute a health risk to workers. Wallenius Coolant System mimics nature, removing these infectants without using chemicals, eliminating human risk factors.
Traditional aquaculture systems flush out waste- and antibiotic-tainted water into nature, drawing on disappearing reserves of groundwater to replace it. Wallenius RAS System continuously cleans and recycles the water, without chemicals, saving millions of litres of water annually.
APPLICATION Workshops and metalworking industry
APPLICATION Aquaculture (fish farming)
WATER WATER EVERYWHERE
Two-thirds of our planet is covered in water and this abundant natural resource is used daily, by billions of people, in thousands of different ways. But, like all natural resources, water has its limits. Pollution, waste, overuse and mismanagement have all left their mark on the world’s water. Driven by innovation and environmental concern, Wallenius Water has developed five water treatment systems that help, in part, to solve the world’s water problems. words ROB HINCKS illustration PETRA FRID/SGB
8
OUR WAY 2/2013
P URE B ALLAST
WALLENIUS PROPERTY SYSTEM
Ships fill and empty special tanks of seawater (ballast) to help balance weight in relation to ever-changing cargo loads. Emptying water in one marine eco-system that was taken onboard in another can lead to environmental catastrophe. PureBallast helps solve this problem.
Microorganisms found in cooling towers and heating systems can spread disease through showers, swimming pools, spas, humidifiers and fountains. Wallenius P roperty System offers chemical-free protection against the legionella bacteria and other waterborne infections.
APPLICATION Clean ballast water onboard ships
APPLICATION Public and private housing, pool and spa businesses, cooling towers
BRIGHT FUTURE In less than ten years Wallenius Water has become a global leading company in the water treatment arena. Innovation, competence, m odern techno logy and environmental s olutions are the keys to its success.
words JENS EKELUND
WALLENIUS ENERGY SYSTEM Helps combat fouling in cooling water systems, caused by the growth of organisms such as algae, molluscs and barnacles, thus increasing thermal performance and heat transfer. Wallenius Energy System is specially designed for large-scale water flows.
APPLICATION Power stations and nuclear plants
W
ATER RELATED PROBLEMS are a major con
cern in many parts of the world; ranging from lack of fresh water to water pollution. This means that the opportunities within the water treatment business are numerous and far-reaching. For Wallenius Water, the environmental technology subsidiary of the Soya Group, growth came through narrowing its market scope. “It is fascinating to work in all areas of the water treatment business, but we had to choose which par ticular focus our organisation would take. From there we grew the company step by step into something bigger”, says Torkel Elgh, President, Wallenius Water. OUR WAY 2/2013
9
THEME | PURE WATER
There should also be an environmental challenge that we are s olving as well” when sister company Wallenius Lines initiated its environmen tal work in the mid 1990s and began searching for a method of purifying its vessels’ ballast water; without creating new environmental problems. They bought a significant share of Benrad AB, an air and water treatment company in 2000 and began developing a chemical-free way to purify water. Four years later, Wallenius Marine bought the remainder of Benrad, changed the name to Wallenius Water and decided to put the air-part of the company on hold and focus only on water. Since then a lot has happened. Among other things, Wallenius Water has formed a joint venture with Alfa Laval, called Alfa Wall, and developed the PureBallast system, which is presently the global leading chemical-free system for treatment of ballast water. “The technology is invented by Wallenius Water, and the sales and marketing organisation of Alfa Laval is used to commercialise it on a global scale. Ballast water is by far the largest application for us today, but in recent years we have started to develop other applications,” says Torkel Elgh. THE STORY OF THE COMPANY STARTED
P H OTO : S I M O N PAU L I N
WALLENIUS WATER Employees: Around 60 Offices: Stockholm, Sweden; Tiajin, China; Frankfurt, Germany For more information: www.walleniuswater.com www.walleniuswater.cn
WITH EXPANSION COMES RECOGNITION and today
customers most often approach Wallenius Water with a specific problem that needs to be solved, rather than W allenius Water going out to market with ready solutions. “You have to understand that we choose appli cations that make sound business sense, but there should also be an environmental challenge that we are solving as well, seen from our customers’ perspective.” This combination of business strength and envi ronmental concern has lead to Wallenius Water’s continued success in markets as diverse as fish
Torkel Elgh, President, Wallenius Water pictured with Wallenius AOT 250.
Milestones in Wallenius Water’s history
farming in China, the Swedish steel industry and, most recently, its first installation in the German automotive industry. The latter has already resul ted in a number of dialogues with other automotive manufacturers. In fact, the outlook for Wallenius Water is so promising that Torkel Elgh is convinced it will be the next big Swedish-export company: “This has a potential to become a really big business. That is what we have in front of us”. z
2000
2004
2006
2010
2013
Wallenius Lines partner with Benrad AB, buying one third of the shares. Start of the development of product for Ballast water treatment based on the patented AOT technology.
Wallenius Marine acquires 100 per cent of the shares in Benrad and lays the f oundation for Wallenius Water AB. The same year the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) presents the Ballast Water Convention.
PureBallast, developed together with Alfa Laval, is launched on the global market and sales of the PureBallast system begin. In parallel the joint venture company AlfaWall AB is founded.
Wallenius Water participates in the World Expo in S hanghai, opening the door for sales in China toward the aquaculture industry. A subsidiary company Wallenius Water (Tianjin) International Trading Co., Ltd. is registered.
Wallenius Water opens a representation office in Frankfurt in order to stay closer to the growing industrial customer base in Germany. Export of Wallenius Coolant System begins.
10 OUR WAY 2/2013
AQUACULTURE
huge opportunities and serious issues
Aquaculture, or fish farming, has been the fastest growing animal protein production sector for the last 20 years. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United N ations puts current global production at around 60 million metric tons of fish for human consumption per year. A staggering 70 per cent of this is produced in China alone. words ISABELLE KLIGER photo GETTY IMAGES
A
quaculture is a largely unregulated industry. It is closely linked with serious social and environmental threats, including the spread of diseases, parasites and invasive species, along with extended demands on local ground water supplies. Doctor John Volpe leads the Seafood Ecology Research Group at the University of Victoria, in Canada. “Fish farming has been around for thousands of years and will continue to be an important part of our future,” he says. “However, it is only recently that fish farming has made the transition from a process for producing food to one for producing revenue. All the ecological issues we hear about in relation to salmon fishing, for example – such as sea lice, organic pollution, toxins and disease transmission – are related directly to attempts to produce salmon as cheaply as possible.” Volpe goes on to explain that, while he believes in the future of fish farming, there is an urgent need for greater industry regulation, as well as investment in sustainability and environmental technologies. Furthermore, he argues that the way in which sustainability is measured ought to be re-evaluated. “We need to move away from the notion that sustainability can be measured in terms of performance per ton,” he says. “This metric is meaningless from an ecological perspective, as nature does not recognise relative performance, only total production and overall environmental impact.” Nowhere is this ecological impact more keenly felt than in China, which accounts for a staggering 70 per cent of all global aquaculture production. China’s reliance on traditional fish farming in ponds and flow-through aquaculture systems is threatening to exhaust the country’s limited water resources. Dr. Volpe also voices another concern in
FISH FARM IN CHINA Read how Wallenius Water is helping to bring change to the Chinese aquaculture business.
relation to the Chinese example. “I’m alarmed by the density of production and the intense reliance on the preventative use of antibiotics, which is undoubtedly hastening resistance in target pathogens,” he says.
Marine ecologist John Volpe has developed the Global Aquaculture Performance Index (GAPI), a method for measuring the environmental impact of various aquaculture practices.
But, Dr Volpe remains hopeful that a possible solution to many of these problems may be on the horizon, as a result of the important work that is currently under way in the environmental technology sector, led by companies such as Wallenius Water. “Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) have the capacity immediately to eliminate most of these ecological issues,” says Volpe. “Furthermore, these systems bring product to market at prices that are equivalent to conventionally farmed produce, thereby contradicting the widely held misconception that alternatives to open-net pen farming are not cost effective. In short, the development of these systems means there is no longer an excuse for risking marine environments.” z
Farmed Pacific Salmon fry for eventual release to enhance wild populations.
OUR WAY 2/2013 11
THEME | PURE WATER
e ltur ut its u c qua ing, b t is a s ’ a m ac Chin is boo al imp levels. stry ment rying m is u d n i iron to wor Syste mers’ v n e ing RAS sh far ier, l s a r u i i sp allen the fi ealth W ng up ing h fish ni uc er clea t, prod r, tasti ay. ac igge the w b ong KS INC W H al O B CH RO N rd s E F E w o o ST ot ph
Wallenius Water cleans up in
CHINA
12 OUR WAY 2/2013
T
Farm manager Chen Jijun.
Min Feng has 20,000 square-metres of fish tanks.
of Tianjin in China is home to almost 13 million inhabitants. It is also the center of China’s rapidly expanding aquaculture, or fish farming i ndustry, producing thousands of tons of fish per year. “China produces more farmed fish than any country in the world,” explains Fräs Annika Andersson, Vice President, Wal lenius Water, “and Tianjin, along with its three surrounding prov inces, accounts for 90 per cent of all the flat fish produced in the country. A growing economy means that more people can afford to eat fish. And when you have a population of more than one billion, that’s a huge amount of fish.” And with this heavy production, come major environmental problems. Most of the fish farms in Tianjin use what’s known as the flow-through method of farming. Essentially, this means that once a day, around 70 per cent of all the water in the farm is pumped out to sea, and replaced with new water. HE PORT CITY
”THE WATER IN THE TANKS at fish farms is a mix of seawater and fresh
continuously cleaning and recircul ating the water within a closed system. “Using an efficient filtration and biological treatment process Wallenius RAS S ystem allows for 95 per cent of the water in a fish farm to be re-used, drastical ly minimising the amount of water pumped out into n ature,” says Andersson. WALLENIUS RAS SYSTEM WORKS BY
WATER: IN DEPTH
that benefits. Wallenius RAS System incorporates controls to stabilise water flow and tempera ture. “Fish respond better to a stable environment,” says Anders son. “With Wallenius RAS System the fish are happier, healthier and grow faster and bigger. Plus we can cool the water in the sum mer months, when fish farming was traditionally difficult, ensuring profitability all year round.” And that keeps the fish farmers happy, too. “I had been looking for a solution that would both reduce water consumption and in crease profitability, so when I heard about Wallenius RAS System I was interested at once,” says Mr Chen, owner of Min Feng. “Our water is now very clean and transparent and fish of the same age look healthier and are larger than fish in the traditional system.” AND IT’S NOT JUST THE ENVIRONMENT
BUSINESS IN CHINA IS COMPETITIVE and Wallenius Water is constantly
working to improve their Wallenius RAS System, as well as bring ing down prices. With continued support from the Chinese govern ment, the outlook is good for the Chinese aquaculture industry. z
PH OTO : O LOF HO L DAR
water. When they pump out the water once a day into the sea, they are depleting the level of groundwater when they replace it,” says Andersson. “Farmers in Tianjin regularly report that they have to drill deeper and deeper to find fresh water; some as much as 1,000 metres. Many are forced to move location, because the water has simply dried up.” Add to this the fact that the water that is pumped out is full of waste material and antibiotics used to treat the fish, and the region’s environmental balance is at tipping point. Tianjin’s farmers were slow to react to these problems according to Andersson: “They are business people. They care because they see a financial gain.” But the Chinese government saw the bigger picture. In 2010 Wal lenius Water were invited to participate in the World Expo in Shang hai; showcasing their water purification systems.
In 2010 Wallenius Water signed their first customer: the Min Feng fish farm in Tianjin. Min Feng has some 20,000 square-metres of fish tanks. With the old, flow-through production in place, Min Feng was pumping out ap proximately 8,000 cubic metres of dirty water back into nature every day; “that’s the equivalent of about ten 25-metre swimming pools every day,” says Andersson. With Wallenius RAS System installed, that waste is all but eliminated.
“THE FISH ARE HAPPIER, HEALTHIER AND GROW FASTER AND BIGGER“ Fräs Annika Andersson, Vice President, Wallenius Water.
OUR WAY 2/2013 13
IN DEPTH | PURE WATER words ROB HINCKS/SOYA GROUP
PUREBALLAST 3.0 Doing more with less
B
ALLAST IS VITAL TO SHIPPING: seawater taken onboard to add
weight and stability to a vessel. As cargo is loaded and unloaded, this ballast needs to be adjusted according ly; either taken onboard from the ocean, or discharged back into it. When water taken in from one part of the ocean is discharged into another, the environmental implica tions are potentially enormous: with that water comes untold numbers of bacteria, microorganisms, animal and plant life, not suited to where it is now discharged. PUREBALLAST , A JOINT DEVELOPMENT by Wal
lenius Water and Alfa Laval, is a chemical free system for ballast water treatment; effectively ridding a ship’s ballast water of any potential environmentally hazardous substances. The newly launched PureBallast 3.0, the
next generation of that system, builds on the collective experience from the many PureBallast systems sold and installed worldwide. Insights from countless hours of work at shipyards and on board were all fed into the development process, along with the biological and operational data commissioned from 100 systems. Feedback from ship owners, ship operators and ship yards were also factored into the equation. remain un changed in this new version, the reactor’s construction and flow have been fully optimised. As a result, one energy-efficient reactor can now achieve what four did before with major advantages in a number of key areas. Though 50 per cent smaller than its predecessors, it uses up to 60 per cent less energy and handles flows of up to 6,000 cubic metres per hour. WHILE THE TREATMENT PRINCIPLES
NEWSFLASH! On April 8 Alfa Laval announ ced a major new PureBallast order worth SEK 50 million to a leading shipyard in South Korea. “This order confirms the growing demand for our Pure Ballast system for new vessels,” says Lars Renström, President and CEO of Alfa Laval Group. Delivery of the order will start in 2013 and be finalised in 2014.
PureBallast was originally launched in 2006 as the world’s very first commercially available ballast water treatment system. Since then it has matured considerably, ar riving in an updated PureBallast 2.0 version in 2010. Already then there were improve ments to its energy efficiency and its basic construction, but nothing to compare with the advances in PureBallast 3.0. z Today, more than 400 systems have been sold by Alfa Laval.
HOW IT WORKS
Pure water is a precondition for life and an ever-current issue that is increasing in importance for a growing number of people, particularly from a global perspective. There are as many definitions of what constitutes pure water, as there are fish in the sea. One thing is clear though: ecological water purification has never been simpler, more cost effective or more important. Increasing demand for ecologically effective water treatment technologies has resulted in the development of several new oxidation methods. These technologies are generally labelled Advanced Oxidation Technologies (AOT) or Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOP) and currently represent the most widely recognised alternative for ecologically sound, high-tech water purification. Wallenius AOT purifiers are based on Wallenius AOT (Advanced Oxidation Technology), a patented, chemicalfree technology that is inspired by nature's own way
14 OUR WAY 2/2013
of purifying water. The result of more than a decade of advanced research and development, Wallenius AOT uses free radicals to break down harmful microorganisms and other pollutants in water. The technology utilises the ability of light, together with photocatalytic semiconductor surfaces, to produce free radicals, just like nature does. These reactive radicals break down harmful microorganisms and other pollutants in water. The entire process takes just a few micro-seconds. Water flows through the purifier consisting of a light source and a catalytic surface. When the catalytic surface is exposed to light, free radicals are formed which break down contaminants in the water. This process occurs only inside the purifier and leaves no harmful residuals behind. z
W O RDS FROM T HE C E O
Green and clean
O
ur purposeful and challenging environmental work is characterised by continuous improvements and is the "green thread" that runs through all the different operations within the Soya Group. It helps us keep a steady course, and often creates new business opportunities – both large and small. One of many examples is Wallenius Water. Today, it is a natural part of the Soya Group, but the start was really a result of our environmental goals for Wallenius Marine, and our groundbreaking response to ballast water purification. We realised as early as the mid 1990s that unpurified ballast water would become one of global shipping’s biggest environmental challenges, and decided to find a solution. Our initial investigations were carried out on board the old m/v ANIARA in co-operation with the University of Gothenburg, institute of biology & environmental science, when the ship was laid up in Gothenburg around the turn of the millennium. The trials gave us valuable insight into ballast water problems, and laid the foundation of PureBallast. In retrospect, we can see that we were real pioneers, and one of the first to focus on this type of work. At the same time, it gave us a unique advantage which facilitated the decision to invest in Benrad, the company that would later become Wallenius Water. Our ambition to be leaders in all our business areas means that we often need to put in a little extra effort, but when we look back at what we actually have accomplished, it is precisely that hard work and our endurance, which forms our success story. Wallenius Water’s operations today encompass far more than ballast water treatment, but without the samples taken aboard the old m/v ANIARA, no doubt we would not now have systems around the world to purify drinking water, cutting fluids, fish farms and swimming pools, to name a few.
THE PROCESS Radical
H2O Microorganism
2
3
A radical formed from a water molecule hits the cell wall of a microorganism in the water.
Radicals steal hydro gen atoms from the cell wall, breaking down the micro organsim.
The radical reverts to a water m olecule leaving pure water, free from contaminants.
PH OTO : O LO F H O LDA R
1
PROBLEM SOLVED
There are many more examples within the Soya Group, where we combine forward thinking, a pioneering spirit and public welfare on a daily basis, and also see that it will pay off in the end. I am confident that our future is secure if we manage to keep working "Our Way". I share the pride that I see in co-workers throughout the organisation that in various ways contributes to our continued development, despite the challenges involved in our work. The most important thing is that we all help each other so that we do not get stuck in our old ways, and instead are always open to new decisions. One thing is certain – we will never walk in someone else's footsteps!
JONAS KLEBERG ceo soya group
OUR WAY 2/2013 15
PROBLEM SOLVED
12,000 2009
megawatts per hour (MpH) consumed by H채sselby Hem.
2012
8,000 MpH consumed.
e v o m t r a m S g istin n ex to a n o e ing ly abl k uild d b re quic vings. n a ng st we rgy sa ishi a e furb , Wallf ge en e r u m h By e t e sys chiev a
% 0 ION
3 E R
16 OUR WAY 2/2013
U D
T C
words JENS EKELUND photo SAMIR SOUDAH
WA L L FAST
Less is More for Wallfast’s Energy Consumption Over the period of just a few years, Soya Group’s real estate company Wallfast has managed to substantially cut their energy costs by as much as 40 per cent; a figure that surprises even Wallfast’s own property manager.
W
allfast owns some 4,000 rental apartments in the Stockholm area, many of which are in Hässelby, a suburb in the western outskirts of the city. Wallfast bought 688 apartments from the public housing company Stockholmshem in September 2008. At that time, Stockholmshem had a very favourable deal with the district heating supplier Fortum, but the energy consumption was relatively high. “We were using 12,000 Megawatts per Hour (MwH) for the whole year in 2009; even more the year before”, says Mats Ottran, Property Manager at Wallfast. THESE HIGH CONSUMPTION RATES could be
traced back a decade earlier, when Stock holmshem operated an exhaust air heat pump (that recycles warm air generated by a building to use as heating) alongside the district heating. When the pump broke down in 1997, Fortum offered Stockholms hem a better deal on their energy price, if they agreed to aban don the pump and buy all their energy from them. When the price of district heating rose in 2008, Wallfast, who have energy saving high on their prior Mats Ottran
“THE PUMP HAS PAID FOR ITSELF OVER JUST A FEW YEARS. WE NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD MAKE SUCH A DIFFERENCE“ ity list, decided this particular problem needed solving. “We decided to invest in a new exhaust air heat pump for the opera tions center in the area, and thanks to that we immediately reduced our reliance on district heating,” says Mats Ottran. INSTEAD OF RELEASING exhaust air from the
apartments into the atmosphere, a large amount of it is recycled through a battery in the chimney. The recycled heating goes back to the buildings through 18 subop eration centres and three culverts to the pump, which in turn leads new heating and hot water back to the buildings. “We utilised much of the existing sys tem, fixing leaks in the culverts before we could switch on the pump. We also rebuilt the suboperation centres to make them work better, and installed energy meters to measure culvert losses and to see how much energy each building consumes,” says Mats Ottran. The temperature in each apartment went from an expensive 22–24 Celsius, to a more affordable, and comfortable, 21 Celsius. Further improvements meant that the entire system could be monitored from Wallfast’s headquarters. DISTRICT HEATING STILL ACCOUNTS for
two-thirds of the energy consumption
in Hässelby. But thanks to the pump, run using eco-labelled electricity, Wallfast has managed to cut the consumption to 8,000 MwH for 2012. That’s a decrease of 30 per cent in just four years. “The pump has paid for itself over just a few years. We never thought it would make such a big difference,” says Mats Ottran. “The fact there was already an infrastruc ture of pipes, fans and batteries in place, despite the leaks, was an advantage. If we had been required to build everything from scratch, it would have been a lot more expensive,” he adds. And it’s not just in their rental properties that Wallfast work towards low energy con sumption. At their headquarters in Stock hom they have also taken measures to cut energy consumption, with great success. “We have adjusted the heating system by installing thermostats and pressure controlled pumps. During spring and fall, when the sun heats up the building, the thermostats shut off the radiators when it gets warmer than 21 Celsius,” says Mats Ottran. In the year since this instal lation was complete, Wallfast has been able to achieve a massive 40 per cent energy saving at its head quarters.
TEAMWORK
ONE OF WALLFAST’S MAJOR GOALS is a 20
per cent reduction in energy consumption across its entire property portfolio from 2009 to 2020. “With the reductions in 2012 alone, we have already reached 10,3 per cent,” says Mats Ottran, “and that’s a very satisfying figure. We will now continue with different energy projects and optimisations to reach that goal,” he adds. z OUR WAY 2/2013 17
TEAMWORK | JOB ROTATION
Ulf Deutgen is happy to spread the word on job sharing.
ROTATING SCHEDULE PROVID Perhaps the ultimate in teamwork, a Wallenius Marine job-sharing scheme is proving vital in increasing efficiency and knowledge, both on shore and at sea. words ANNA MODIG photo DAVID MAGNUSSON
18 OUR WAY 2/2013
LF DEUTGEN AND ERIK HÄGER share half of
the same job. It sounds confusing, but its simplicity is proving an effective orga nisational tool. Both alternate between ten weeks at sea as Master of the m/v UNDINE (followed by ten weeks leave) and 20 weeks in the office at the Wallenius Marine headquarters’ Risk Management department in Stockholm. “The biggest advantage is that there is always a Marine Superintendent in the of fice, with fresh sea competence,” says Ulf. He adds that even if you don’t forget what it’s like to be at sea, once on shore you can lose a bit of that intuition. And out on the
Erik Häger is back on shore and ready to learn.
DES INCREASED COMPETENCE ocean, the rotating schedule means that there is always a Master with fresh know ledge such as new routines and new rules for certain ports. THE FACT THAT THEY ARE the same two pe
ople sharing one position as Master and one as office superintendent means that “schooling-in” periods, which often occur when a new person learns a new routine, are avoided. Ulf and Erik’s job-rotation is in fact only a test, originally planned to last for one year. But, as Ulf Deutgen puts it: “The word is spreading.”
People in the office and at sea have quickly seen the effectiveness of the project. Office co-workers always have easy access to information and when someone has been in the office for 20 weeks and comes out to sea, it becomes clear how new decisions and regulations work in practice. And not just in matters pertaining to vessel operations, but also to communications and IT-related issues. LETTING PEOPLE SWITCH ROLES is nothing
new to Wallenius. Previously, the Walle nius fleet Chief Officers had the oppor tunity to work as load planners for six
months, to see how the work was done at another end of the chain. ERIK HÄGER IS CURRENTLY undertaking
his first period at Risk Management in Stockholm, and after only a few weeks was able to see that there was a lot to learn. And his fresh sea expe rience provided good input to discussions relating to on board activities. “So far it is clear that this teamwork has worked well and strengthened competence within the company,” he concludes. z
THIS MUCH I KNOW
OUR WAY 2/2013 19
THIS MUCH I KNOW words ROB HINCKS photo DAVID MAGNUSSON
S OYA G R OUP
Help where it’s most needed Since 2004 the Soya Group has donated money on an annual basis to three charity organisations: Save the Children, The Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières. The money goes direct to these organisations’ catastrophe funds, as they know best when and where that money is needed. And our money really makes a difference. There are around 400 major crises and natural disasters per year around the world where people need urgent help. During 2012 the organisations have used our money in different ways. Save The Children’s disaster fund has been used in 21 different emergency situations, whilst the Swedish Red Cross has provided funds to around 30 different projects. I know that our donations helped the victims of hurricane Sandy, famine in Sudan and North Korea, the Gaza conflict, civil war in Syria and drought in West Africa. Médecins Sans Frontières often carry out their work under conditions of extreme risk. In 2012, they used the money donated by us to go towards projects in South Sudan. After 20 years of war, there is an enormous need there and our donation helped fund vaccinations against measles, programs to combat malnourishment, mobile treatment facilities and emergency surgery clinics. In addition to these donations, we annually support a number of environmental, cultural, technical and safety related projects, nationally as well as internationally. In total more than 100,000,000 SEK has been donated over the last 10 years.
CECILIA KOLGA Head of Soya Group Corporate Communications
20 OUR WAY 2/2013
IN FOCUS words ANNA MODIG photo FREDRIK DAVIDSSON
Anders Bohman comments on the Swedish government’s plan for the shipping industry.
WA L L EN I US LI N E S
The Shipping Industry’s Call to Action In the light of recent government plans for improving the Swedish shipping industry, all the major players are united on one point: more needs to be done.
the Swedish Government’s action plan for improving competitive ness in the shipping industry, the words of Anders Boman, President, Wallenius Shipping & Logistics, were clear: "The gov ernment's action plan for Swedish shipping is no action plan". The plan was unveiled by the Minister for Infrastructure, Catharina Elmsäter-Swärd, at a meeting in Gothenburg at the end of January. Anders Boman also notes that the govern ment's goals – such as greater ability to compete, continuing to drive and influence maritime work, continuing to work with and influence environmental work – are unreal istic, based on the action plan that is now on the table. According to Anders Boman, the Swedish merchant navy is simply too small and the tangible initiatives articulated in the action plan are too weak. Boman, also chairman of the Swedish N RESPONSE TO
“THE GOVERNMENT'S ACTION PLAN FOR SWEDISH SHIPPING IS NO ACTION PLAN“ Anders Boman, President, Wallenius Lines
Shipping Association, together with the association's MD Christer Schoug, highlights in particular, the government’s stance on tonnage tax; a levy that often sees Swedish owned ships being registered in neighbouring countries. "An action plan that really would have made a difference would see Swedish companies with Swedish vessels having the same competitive and economic condi tions as in other EU countries,” he says. Martin Lindeblad, MD, Maritime Offic
ers’ Association agrees: "It's good that the government has presented an action plan for improving the competitiveness of the Swedish shipping industry, but one can ask whether the action plan measures are sufficient to expand the Swedish merchant navy, and to secure Swedish maritime skills." KENNY REINHOLD, OF SWEDISH seafarers
union SEKO, also disputes the validity of the government’s plan: "Now that the government has finally unveiled its action plan for the Swedish shipping industry, it is easy to see that the industry is not a priority to the government. The political power needed to preserve what is left of the Swedish merchant navy today is also lacking." Whatever the upsides of the govern ment’s plan for the Swedish maritime industry, the message is clear, from all corners of the shipping world: more needs to be done, now! z OUR WAY 1/2013 2/2013 21
AT THE STUD FARM
words ANNA MODIG photo CLAES KÄRRSTRAND
Irish Rose out in the paddock for the first time with her colt foal sired by Maharajah, named Utmost.
M E NH AM M AR ST UTERI
Maharajah, foals and Sweden's most successful breeder THE PRIX D’AMERIQUE AT VINCENNES in Paris at the
end of January did not turn out to be what trainer Stefan Hultman had hoped for. Maharajah finished unplaced and immediately after the race, speculation started that the star horse was unwell. Indeed, postrace blood tests showed that he had an infection. Stefan Hultman commented at the time: “Just as I suspected all wasn’t right with Maharajah on Sunday. The latest test results clearly show that he had an infection in the body, and for me it’s good to know why he wasn’t at his best. As I said yesterday, you don’t always find out why a horse is not perfor ming as expected, so I’m happy that I now have an explanation. Of course, it is incredibly unfortunate: as we all really did everything we could to keep the horse healthy and well, and he still got an infection.” IN EARLY MARCH, MAHARAJAH returned home to Ekerö
for training at Yttersta. Breeding season has also be gun and Maharajah will hopefully this season breed about 25 mares owned by Menhammar stud farm and another 125 mares from other owners. In Sweden, 22 OUR WAY 2/2013
”WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD TO KEEP THE HORSE HEALTHY AND WELL, AND HE STILL GOT AN INFECTION” Trainer Stefan Hultman about Maharajah’s misfortune.
full book for a stallion is 150 mares/year. Last year, Maharajah bred 120 mares and in January, Menhammar’s first foal sired by Maharajah arrived. The mother of the little colt is Irish Rose. The baby was named “Utmost”. On April 20, Maharajah became a winner again, when he came in first in “the Olympic trotting races” final at Åby race track and the Olympiatravet! The driver Örjan Kihlström was in tears over this great achievement which gave Menhammar’s pride SEK 1,500,000. Congratulations! as a breeder continues. For the sixth year in a row, the Ekerö based stud farm is the home of Sweden’s most successful breeder, making it in turn “Sweden’s most successful breeder” ever, which means the breeder whose horses have been winning most money racing during the year. Menhammar’s breedings won no less than 35.2 milli on SEK in 2012. Also, no other breeder has bred more “millionaires” – horses that have earned more than a million SEK – than Menhammar, a total of 72. z THE SUCCESS OF MENHAMMAR
SOYA GROUP IN SHORT WALLENIUS LINES & WALLENIUS MARINE
HÄSSELBY HEM
The Wallenius shipping companies, together with international partners, form one of the world’s leading shipping and logistics groups with a strong focus on environmentally sound solutions. With a total fleet of 160 vessels the Wallenius subsidiaries and affiliated companies and their international partners offer global supply chain logistics to manufacturers of cars and other rolling cargo.
WALLENIUS WATER Wallenius Water provides effective solutions for water purification based on chemical free technology. Custom made solutions are developed for marine, industrial, property, energy and agricultural industries which contributes to a sustainable and healthy environment.
Also a subsidiary of Wallfast, Hässelby Hem takes its name from the Stockholm suburb of Hässelby, where its property portfolio is located. Engaged in supporting the entire area, Hässelby Hem aims to create a quality of life as well as wellmaintained apartments.
EUROPEAN FLIGHT SERVICE & EUROPEAN MAINTENANCE SERVICE Two companies that together are Scandinavia’s leading suppliers of business jets and business jet maintenance. Based outside Gothenburg, they can fly passengers across the globe as well as offer maintenance for a wide range of Cessna Citation jets.
MENHAMMAR STUTERI
WALLFAST With some 4,000 apartments and several commercial properties in its portfolio, Wallfast is one of Stockholm’s largest private real estate owners. The environment is of key concern to Wallfast and all of its properties have ISO 14001 environmental status.
For more than 60 years Menhammar stud farm has been breeding, training and racing horses – with great success. The land around Menhammar has been cultivated for close to 800 years, and as well as producing winning horses, it is a beautiful place to be.
WALLSTAR SUPPORT AB
CISTERNA A subsidiary of Wallfast, Cisterna is all about building high quality, attractive buildings. And, like all companies in the Soya Group, it also has a strong focus on the environment.
The hub in the middle of the Soya wheel, Wallstar Support offers joint administrative functions for the entire group. It is made up of corporate communications, corporate security, environment, finance, human resources and IT.
SOYA GROUP YEAR BY YEAR Olof Wallenius Oil storage Wallenius Wallenius Hässelby wholesale business (Cisterna) Soya Group established Marine Water Hem starts founded founded established founded with Wallenius Lines, Rederi AB Soya 1939 Wallfast, Wallstar, 1922 2002 2004 2008 established Menhammar & Cisterna EFS included EMS included 1934
2001
2004
2008
OUR WAY 2/2013 23
P H OTO : M AR I A MI K KO
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