In Terntank, maritime safety, the protection of the marine environment and the well-being of the crew have always been of top priority. The company continuously strives to be way ahead of legislators.

Tärntank Rederi AB took delivery of its first double hull tanker as early as in 1974. This new tanker was delivered with a design that made a pump room superfluous. This was to avoid that crew members had to enter gas filled areas.

Being a family company with its roots on an island, established by and still operated by people with seagoing experience and professional competence from shipboard operations, Tärntank has high ambitions to make the working and living conditions for its seafarers the best achievable. Modern society depends on reliable transportation of oil, oil products and chemicals but living close to sea has made the management of Terntank highly aware of the sensitivity of the marine environment.

DOUBLE HULL DECADES BEFORE IT BECAME MANDATORY

In 1969, one of Tärntank’s vessels ran aground in lake Mälaren, with an oil spill as a consequence. This was a turning point for the company. We said to ourselves that we couldn’t go on like that, we had to reduce the risks, says Sven-Olof Kristensson, founder of Tärntank Rederi AB. In 1972, the company ordered a new tanker, the Tärnhav, built with a double hull, decades before this became mandatory. Since then, all Terntank ships have had double hull. Thus, Terntank show their determination to always be well ahead of regulations when it comes to safety and protecting the environment.

1974

In 1974, the company took delivery of a new tanker, M/T Tärnhav, built with a double hull, decades before this became mandatory.

CONSTANT WATCH ON PERFORMANCE

It is a challenge to always improve the company’s achievements within safety, health and environment. As a tool, the company measures results against several key performance indicators annually. Three areas of performance are measured constantly:

  1. Personnel. Confident, safe and healthy employees are equally important for a safe and environmentally sound shipboard operation. Therefore, Tärntank continuously measures the retention rate with a target set at 90 per cent.
  2. A clean and orderly vessel is the basis for a safe ship, a good working environment and to minimise the vessel’s impact on the marine environment.
  3. Environment. Performance is measured with tools such as the Clean Shipping Index and the company’s Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP).

Environmental performance is measured with tools such as a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan

In 2013, the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan, will become mandatory. Terntank started to implement it already in 2011.

OUR TOOLS

Terntank has developed manuals for all work assignments and procedures. Job descriptions have been written in order to introduce a new crewmember to learn and understand his tasks before he or she signs on and as a guide and help onboard the company’s vessels. These have been developed together with onboard personnel to ensure that everyone can understand the description and follow it according to the company policy.

The Clean Shipping Index is a project launched in 2007 that involves some 30 exporting enterprises, including oil and chemical companies, that are willing to go beyond legislation. The index measures five areas: Sulfur oxide (SOx) and particular matter emissions, nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, chemicals, and water and waste control.

Terntank aims to continuously reduce fuel consumption and resulting air emissions. Target is to achieve a continuous reduction of fuel consumption on comparable operation measured related to cargo transported in the long run.

In 2013, the SEEMP, Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan, will become mandatory. Terntank started to implement its SEEMP already in 2011. By taking action in several areas, including trim and draught optimization, speed management, improved hull and propeller condition, main engine performance, and auxiliary engine performance and utilization, Terntank expects to reduce air emissions considerably.

Job descriptions have been written in order to introduce a new crewmember to learn and understand his tasks before he or she signs on and as guide and help on board the company's vessels

THE CATAMISER - A REVOLUTIONISING INVENTION

In 2011, Tärntank launched the Tärntank Environmental Shipping project in collaboration with the oil company Preem. The tanker Tarnvag has been equipped with the Catamiser on the main engine and all auxiliary motors. The Catamiser, invented by Gothenburg based heat systems producer GESAB, is a combined unit for waste heat recovery and NOx reduction of exhaust gases.

By installing SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction) systems in combination with Catamisers (exhaust gas boilers), NOx emission is reduced by 230 tonnes per year. NOx emission levels are also well below the IMO Tier III requirements that will enter into force in 2016. In addition, a heat recovery system that converts heat from all diesel exhaust gases to thermal heating makes a conventional oil fired boiler unnecessary. This reduces the vessel’s fuel consumption by 120 tonnes per year. In all, the installation reduces CO2 emissions by 370 tonnes annually.

To make a really powerful investment for the environment in the unstable market we are experiencing right now, that is very stimulating, says Tryggve Möller, Managing Director at Tärntank Ship Management AB. We will use the equipment at sea as well as at berth since we do not need to use boilers while at berth, says Tryggve Möller.

The Catamiser also substantially reduces the Tarnvag’s noise level while at berth: Noise is a great obstacle in many places. At some ports, ships with too high noise levels may not unload or are forced to unload only during the daytime. The noise level is a nuisance for bathing tourists and nearby residents, something that we at Tärntank, who also live in the archipelago, have great sympathy for.

The dream is that one day soon all our ships will have this equipment, says Tryggve Möller.

To make a really powerful investment for the environment in the unstable market we are experiencing right now ? that is very stimulating

Tryggve Möller, Managing Director at Tärntank Ship Management AB.