Large vessels propelled by heavy engines, sailing all around the world: the maritime industry might not be the first to come to mind when thinking of sustainability. Yet, the industry is rapidly changing and improving to become more sustainable. Diepeveen: “At ForestWave, we fully recognise our responsibility towards the environment. With an extensive sustainability strategy as our roadmap, we constantly reduce the footprint of our company. Our end goal? Zero CO2 emissions by 2050.”
To reach that goal, ForestWave is making changes throughout the company. But it’s safe to say our fleet receives the most attention. “Reducing the fuel consumption and emissions of our vessels would significantly lower the emissions of our company – thus positively impacting the environment”, Diepeveen says. “But greening an entire fleet calls for large investments. That’s why we’ve chosen to take things step by step. We’re doing as much as we can, as fast as we can, without compromising our daily business.”
First of all, ForestWave focuses on maintaining a modern fleet. By acquiring Symphony Shipping in 2023, we added eight young vessels to our name. In 2025, another two brand new Ecobox XL vessels will join the ForestWave fleet. Operating a modern fleet has several environmental benefits, the Managing Director explains. “Firstly, the vessels are equipped with the latest technology, making them highly energy-efficient. Our newest vessels are even fitted with dual-fuel engines, meaning they currently run on traditional fuels but are ready to be modified to more sustainable fuels once those become widely available. They also have an innovative heat recovery system, reducing their fuel consumption by 4 to 6 per cent. Secondly, modern vessels have an innovative (bow) design that allows them to move through the water with less resistance, lowering their fuel consumption and, consequently, their CO2 emissions.”
Cargo vessels consume a lot of fuel. Traditional fuels such as diesel are still the most commonly used in the maritime industry. However, over the last few years, there has been significant research into and development of alternative, more sustainable fuels. Diepeveen: “ForestWave recently conducted several tests with biofuels (fuels produced from renewable sources). The results were very promising, leading us to decide to start using biofuels. Because these fuels are not yet widely available, we will only be using them on some of our journeys for now. As their availability increases, so will our usage.”
To further reduce our environmental impact, we are currently implementing various sustainable solutions across our fleet. For instance, all of our vessels will be coated with a special silicone paint, reducing their resistance to water and thereby their fuel consumption. The paint can reduce fuel consumption by 3 to 5 per cent. But ForestWave is going even further. “Recently, two of our vessels will be equipped with emission-reducing carbon capture systems. The system captures up to 10 percent of a vessel’s total CO2 emissions, storing it in dedicated containers on board. To reduce the amount of plastic water bottles used onboard our vessels, we have equipped all of our vessels with systems for drinking water. In addition, all of our crew members received a reusable water bottle, so they no longer need to use bottled water.”
Despite our sustainability efforts so far, we know our green journey has only just begun. That’s why we not only keep a close eye on the many developments in our industry, but we are also closely involved in several projects. Diepeveen: “Creating a sustainable, future-proof maritime industry isn’t something we, or anyone, can do on their own. Only by working together can we create impactful solutions. ForestWave is always happy to contribute to clever ideas or interesting projects that fit our company. We might not have reached our end goal yet, but we keep getting closer.”