Stena is all about people. This is one of our strengths. We talk directly to each other and we support each other. We are strong together. We, being one hundred of our top managers plus our partners, tried to use the three days together to be as active as possible and to strengthen our personal networks.

I hope the meeting gave us inspiration, an energy boost and also provided us with some new insights and tools. 

A relationship normally starts with exchanging questions. By using our time for questioning, listening, seeing, absorbing, and explaining, we can understand, create hope and act.

Personally, I have always wanted to know more and understand better and to do that I try to ask a lot of questions. By asking questions and being curious I have learnt more about our customers and the conditions under which they operate. To truly understand their conditions is a prerequisite to understand our own businesses and based on these questions I have been able to develop my business acumen.

To develop our businesses we must see and acknowledge that the coin always has two sides. There are pros and cons to everything. And it is very important to see both sides of the coin to be successful. I think the last three years have proved this to be more true than ever. There will always be both good times and bad times and we need to have business models and structures that enable us to handle both sides of the coin. 

During the last few years, I think we have proven that we are able to do so. Stena AB turned 2021 into a profitable year and the combined profit for our three sphere companies amounted to around 3 billion SEK. And I am pleased to say that the strong trend continues. I think that 2022 has the potential of becoming an even better year for us. 

Stena Metall is currently delivering at record levels.  

Stena Line did a remarkable recovery during 2021. The company continues to benefit from a strong freight market and we see that our travel guests, especially those in cars, have come back after covid. The other shipping companies, especially Stena Bulk, are benefitting from strong markets and are showing very healthy results. This is really great to see.  

Stena Drilling has also recovered well and the fact that all drilling units currently have firm contracts with well-known energy majors shows that our high operational standards and well-maintained rigs are paying off.

Stena Fastigheter and Stena Adactum are delivering good results and have been doing so throughout these years, thereby generating stable cash flows and stabilizing the Stena AB group.

Our mantra to always fear losses and love profits has made an impact. The recovery we have made has come through hard work, strong customer focus and by taking sometimes very difficult decisions in time and then having the courage to act upon them. As a consequence, we have been able to maintain direction and movement throughout this period and that is very important. 

I would like to say thank you all for your contribution to the positive development. And you know what? Your hard work has put us in a better position today than we had three years ago. That is very impressive!  

Going forward it is important to, again and again, ask ourselves the questions:  

– Who would miss us if we were not here? 

– Are our activities really creating value for society and for our customers?

– How useful are our activities and to whom?

Sorry for repeating it, but we must continuously ask ourselves these questions to be able to find solutions and opportunities where we are useful. This is how we make our companies future-proof in order to stay relevant. Seeking the future is often about reframing. 

Each decade has its challenges as has each generation. Digitalization and sustainability is changing the way we do business. To open our minds during the Sphere Forum we visited Stena Innovation Center at Chalmers Technical University and Lindholmen Science Park, two different collaboration platforms aiming at stimulating innovation, growth and industry wide collaboration. Stena Innovation Center has created a lot of start-up companies, out of which eighty percent have succeeded to grow to self-sustainable companies. At present fiftyfive start-up companies are active at Stena Innovation Center.

Today all of us play different roles. It means that we have many identities. In a way, we are hopping from one identity to another. This means we hop from listening to supporting and back to asking new questions, listening and new supporting. It is complex. Nevertheless, it does not mean it has to be complicated as long as we acknowledge the situation.

Our purpose is to care for each other, our clients, society, details, the planet, and to make a profit. If we care for others, I am sure, others will care too. And as long as we are trustworthy I think we shall always find new ways to lead us to a good future even if it means that from time to time we have to change our strategies.

Dan Sten Olsson, CEO

Göteborg September 2022

I like the story because it illustrates how important it is to do something meaningful, to be involved and contribute in many different ways. This applies not only to us individually but also to the at which we companies. At Stena, each company has a clear purpose. This purpose can be clarified by asking the question of who would miss us if we weren’t here. Many of our customers would have to go to a less skilled competitor, or might not be able to buy the requested product or service at all. Our suppliers would have to turn to others who they would have not preferred to work with, and society at large would miss much of what the Stena Sphere contributes. Think about the role your company plays in society. 

It is quite clear that we are consuming the Earth’s resources and affecting the planet in an unsustainable way. We all need to think about what we can do, big and small, to change this. Stena companies take this very seriously and we are presently conducting extensive work to determine the biggest negative effects our operations have and how these can be eliminated.  However, we cannot do everything at once and progress is often slower than we’d wish. But we try to be a leader in the sustainable transition in all the industries we operate in. In this way, we also ensure the long-term competitiveness and the profitability of our operations.

A cathedral can stand for over a thousand years and it would obviously be exciting to be involved in building one, but working for a Stena company is not a bad alternative.

Claes Berglund

Director Public Affairs & Sustainability, Stena AB

Making the transition to a fossil-free society is one of the biggest challenges of our time. Just like the frog that perishes in the pot that slowly heats up, we as individuals and society at large find it difficult to deal with slowly growing problems.

For us at Stena, it is quite obvious that we must make the transition to a fossil-free society, and we intend to be involved in making sure that this happens. In the meantime, however, we must ensure that we can conduct the operations presently needed by society. 

Over 70% of world energy production comes from fossil resources. It is noteworthy that the use of coal, which has a larger negative impact than oil and gas, is still increasing.

Replacing coal with natural gas and oil is still a relatively inexpensive and effective first step toward decarbonization. Solutions that help the world eliminate its coal dependency should be given first priority over any other replacement. 

The pathways toward decarbonization are different for different industries. The transport sector, representing approximately 25% of global CO2 emissions, will switch to electrification where possible and seek other solutions such as e-fuels or green hydrogen where electrification is not a viable option.

Stena supports the EU ambition to be the first non-fossil continent in 2050 and welcomes political initiatives to make this happen.

‘The EU Fit for 55’ is a comprehensive set of actions to support the private and public sectors in the transition, and we are in dialogue with the European Commission and others to ensure that the various actions relevant to Stena are carried out as effectively as possible. As a global company, we always prefer global regulation, especially for shipping although we understand that this is not always possible.

The shipping industry is regulated by the International Maritime Organization, and we strongly support the introduction of a global levy on CO2 emissions from vessels. This would provide a clear incentive to seek other sources of energy while retaining a level playing field. Funds generated from the levy should as a first priority support the decarbonization of third-world countries, as every dollar spent there will most likely be the best-spent dollar for the benefit of the planet.

Stena is well-positioned to take a leading position in the ongoing transition in shipping. We have the technical know-how and expertise from in-house R&D, and we have 10,000 onboard employees with in-depth operational expertise. In addition to this, we have close customer relationships with cargo owners, who rely on us to support them in their transitions. 

We have identified three different ways to reduce CO2 emissions. The first is to increase our focus on energy efficiency. As energy will be a scarce resource going forward, we will strengthen our relentless focus on energy efficiency, and we need to do so from the technical, operational and strategic perspectives. The second focuses on new low-carbon fuels. For ferries, electrification is a viable future option. As an electric engine is much more efficient than any other fuel option, the future will probably be electric for the shorter ferry routes. With our knowledge from many EU demonstration projects such as Foresea, Stena Jutlandica ESS as well as Stena Battery Loop, we are well prepared to utilize this technology. 

For longer shipping distances, electrification is not an option with today’s technology and new fuels must be developed. E-methanol is presently regarded as one of the most commercially available pathways towards reducing CO2 emissions for shipping and we were the first ship owner to convert a large vessel to methanol power back in 2015. Going forward, methanol is one of the pathways to reducing emissions, building on our experiences from the Stena Germanica. The partnership Stena Bulk has with the world’s second-largest producer of methanol exemplifies this pathway. 

Electricity has to be clean if we are to reduce CO2 emissions as the world goes electric. Scandinavian Renewable Energy, formerly Stena Renewables, is a company started in 2005 by Stena Adactum. In August, Scandinavian Renewable Energy will be the second largest wind power company in Sweden, with a yearly reduction of CO2 emissions of 1.26 million tonnes, equivalent to 2.7% of all territorial emissions in Sweden. Stena’s share of the company is 20% and planned future investments to produce more sustainable electricity are huge.

For land-based power production, there is a need to quickly reduce the use of coal. Stena has technical solutions supporting the landing of gas in the form of LNG. The Stena Power & LNG Solutions terminals are situated near or offshore which makes them cost-efficient and quicker to establish. No land is required for our terminals, which reduces both investments and the necessary materials. The impact on the surroundings can thus be limited compared to fixed infra-structure. 

It is not only energy that will be a scarce resource in the future. To stay within the boundaries of what our planet can sustain while continuing to lift people out of poverty, circularity of resources is key. Stena Metall is the largest recycling company in the Nordic countries. Its core business is to care for resources. Each tonne of ferrous scrap, aluminum or plastic that is recycled through its operations is a tonne less needed to extract at the cost of CO2 emissions, loss of water and biodiversity. For example, 1 tonne of recycled aluminum conserves 95% of the energy required to produce 1 tonne of virgin aluminum. 

The strategic goal for Stena Recycling, a part of the Stena Metall Group, is to become our customers’ leading circularity partner by expanding the value proposition into services, for example by creating a new consulting service. Stena Circular Consulting is already helping several publicly traded to be more sustainable by becoming more circular. Stena Recycling has also launched Circular Solutions for helping companies like ABB and Alfa Laval with a commercial service for the recycling of inefficient equipment and replacement with new and efficient models that save energy.

It will take time to make the transition, but we at Stena have decided to be involved in leading this development in our various industries.

Donsö, just outside Göteborg, has a long tradition of shipping. Despite the island’s limited size, around a dozen shipping companies are based here. The background to the Donsö Shipping Meet was that the shipping companies wanted to gather their supplier meetings in one place. The result has been a successful meeting place that includes a trade fair, a rich seminar program, panel discussions and a program of organized meetings, as well as the opportunity for spontaneous meetings. This year’s theme was Clean Ocean with Future in Sight, addressing the various challenges facing the maritime industries in terms of climate change adaptation and the path towards becoming carbon neutral.

“As the Secretary General of the United Nations recently said, this is code red for all humanity,” said the first keynote speaker, Bo Cerup-Simonsen, CEO of the Maersk Mc-Kinney Möller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping. “We have reached a point in time when we need to do something about climate change, and we need to do it fast. With 3 per cent of global carbon emissions, it is important that our sector is a part of the solution.”

In his speech, he highlighted four particularly important areas for further efforts: continued energy efficiency, making green fuels available for ships, global regulations and standards, and support for first movers and fast followers.

These issues were also discussed further during the Commercial and Financing Meet seminar, where Carl-Johan Hagman, then CEO of Stena Rederi AB, participated in a panel discussion together with representatives from the Volvo Group and Orkla Group. Some of the challenges highlighted were the lack of a global regulatory framework and a global carbon tax, as well as the uncertainty of future fuels, technologies and market conditions, in contrast to the long-term investments that new shipbuilding always entails.

“There is no doubt that the technical solutions exist,” said Carl-Johan Hagman. “The issue is rather structural and philosophical, where it is about changing our mindset. A global carbon tax would have been the ideal solution. We would then have fixed this in 3–4 years. But the industry can’t wait for that, it has to drive the transformation itself.”

Niklas Gustafsson, Chief Sustainability Officer for the Volvo Group, stressed the importance of partnerships to jointly solve the challenges, as well as the importance of first movers.

“I would like to encourage everyone here to join the First Movers Coalition. “It’s a global initiative that utilizes the purchasing power of companies to reduce carbon emissions in a number of sectors. This could mean, for example, buying only carbon-free steel or carbon-free transport,” he pointed out.

The trade fair, underway from June 14–15, attracted 2,100 visitors from 25 countries, 95 shipping companies and 260 exhibitors. Among the exhibitors was Elin Kristensson, CEO of the more than 100-year-old Donsö company Northern Energy & Supply (N-E-S), which deals with bunker oil, lubricants, marine logistics and the CEO of the shipping company Northern Offshore Services (N-O-S), which serves the offshore wind industry with high speed catamarans. Both companies are part of the Northern Offshore Group.

“For me, this is by far the best fair to attend,” says Elin Kristensson All the right customers are here and there’s an effective speed-meeting structure. Our companies are sponsoring the fair and are participating in all the ways we can.”

There were also some international exhibitors, including German TGE Marine, a supplier of cargo handling and fuel gas systems.

“It’s my first time here and I’m surprised that the fair is so big and that there are so many participants,” says Max Fröhlich, Proposal Manager for TGE Marine. “The best thing is that a lot of our customers are here, and we can meet both them and our suppliers.”

Stena’s stand was staffed by employees from Stena RoRo, Stena Bulk, Stena Teknik, Clyde Travel and the HR departments at Stena Rederi and Stena Line.

“It’s both fun and valuable to have the opportunity to be here together like this with colleagues from other Stena companies,” says Nils Israelsson, from Commercial Operations at Stena Bulk. “And the models of our new vessels the Stena Infinity Max and Stena Elektra we at the stand have attracted a lot of attention and led to many questions.”

Prior to the fair, DSM’s HR group, which includes Stena Rederi and Stena Line, had also taken the opportunity to organize an event related to the tremendous need for skills in the shipping industry.

“The industry’s recruitment needs are greater than the number of students coming out of the school system,” says Angela Jenhed, Senior Advisor for Shipping & Manning at Stena Rederi. “That’s why we invited all the country’s guidance counsellors to an information day with panel discussions, a trade fair and ship visits to increase their knowledge of all the professions and career opportunities in the maritime sector and thus attract more young people to our industry and its academic programs. The evaluation questionnaire we sent out afterwards shows that the participants were very satisfied and that they had gained useful knowledge about shipping that they can pass on to interested students in the future.”

The theme of the 2022 Donsö Shipping Meet, Clean Ocean with Future in Sight, with the climate issue in focus, is expected to play a crucial role for the maritime industries for many years to come. A transformation is necessary, and it needs to happen relatively fast.

“The Donsö Shipping Meet is an excellent opportunity for the entire maritime industry, including technology companies, universities, shipping companies, subcontractors and others working with shipping, to come together and discuss these issues,” says Claes Berglund, Director Public Affairs & Sustainability, Stena AB

At global level, the UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) has agreed that greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping must be reduced by 50 per cent by 2050, compared to 2008. For the EU, the targets are even tougher: 55 per cent by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050. 

“We’re looking at the upcoming regulations and we want to be ahead of the curve and exceed the targets,” says Claes Berglund. “The most topical issue now is emissions trading, which aims to include the maritime industries from 2023 onwards.” 

The climate issue and reducing carbon emissions have been on Stena’s agenda for many years. As part of this, the Stena Germanica was converted to methanol operation in 2015 – a pilot project that has yielded good results and prompted more shipping companies to look at methanol as a possible alternative. 

“There are currently a number of development projects underway in the industry to find renewable alternatives to fossil fuels,” says Claes Berglund. “The main reason we’ve stuck with methanol is that it can be produced in so many ways. As a result, we believe that it will play an increasingly important role in maritime supply over the next 20–30 years.”

However, a crucial factor is the infrastructure in the ports and the availability of the fuel needed.

“For Stena Line, it is about fixed routes between two ports,” says Ron Gerlach, Technical Director Stena AB. “On the bulk side, it’s more complicated because it involves different ports all the time.”

Another important area for further work is energy efficiency improvement.

“The best energy is that which is not used,” says Ron Gerlach. “Although we have been working on these issues for a long time, there is still a lot to do. This includes technical measures such as optimized propellers and hull lines, but also maximizing the use of our vessel capacity. With more than 100 vessels in our fleet, it makes a big difference if everyone who works on board is involved and contributes to this.” 

The next step is to electrify as much of the ferry fleet as possible and use renewable electricity.

“On the Stena Jutlandica we have installed a large battery that can be charged with electricity from shore,” says Claes Berglund. “The goal is to be able to sail fully electric on our routes for up to 3–4 hours. The vision is to have a fully electrified ship by 2030.”

Carbon capture and storage, CCS, is another area of major interest. In the long term, this could help create a shipping industry that is not only carbon neutral, but even carbon negative. 

“We are currently working with our customers to see if we can capture the carbon dioxide and store it on board,” says Claes Berglund.

NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO OF STENA METALL

On September 1, Kristofer Sundsgård took on the role as President and CEO of the Stena Metall Group. He succeeded Anders Jansson, who was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Stena Metall AB as of September 1 after Dan Sten Olsson, who remains a member of the Board.

Kristofer Sundsgård started his career in the Stena Metall Group in 2002 and has worked in various positions within Stena Recycling. In 2016 he was appointed MD of Stena Recycling’s Swedish operations, and in 2019 he became overall responsible for Stena Recycling with operations in seven countries. 

From September 1, 2022, the Stena Metall Group management consists of: Kristofer Sundsgård, President and Chief Executive Officer, Jonas Höglund, Chief Financial Officer and Maria Lindqvist, Chief Human Resources Officer.

NEW INSURANCE DIRECTOR AT STENA AB GROUP

On September 1, Ellinor Landberg took up the role as Insurance Director for Stena AB Group. Ellinor succeeds Ingela Tengelin.

Ellinor has a background in both the insurance and legal sectors, with experience at a top tier London shipping law firm, a Scandinavian P&I Club and most recently as Marine Insurance Manager here at Stena.

“I am pleased to announce that Ellinor will assume this important responsibility and glad to give one of our many talented employees the chance to grow with us at Stena,” says Peter Claesson, Finance Director Stena AB. 

Ingela Tengelin will retire after spending 25 years as Insurance Director for the Group. 

“I would like to thank Ingela for doing an excellent job for Stena during the years and would like to wish her all the best for the future” says Peter Claesson.

NEW GROUP CIO AT STENA AB

As from August 15, Patrik Andersson took up the role as Group CIO for Stena AB. Patrik is taking over after Peter Wahlgren.

Patrik has a truly solid IT background having held senior positions within various sectors including as CIO/CDO at Ikano Bank and as Head of Global IT delivery at Outokumpu Stainless AB. He is currently Director and Head of the Strategic delivery unit at HCL in Continental Europe and the Nordics.

“We want to give Patrik a warm welcome and I am convinced that he will take on this role in an excellent way with the help of all the talented people we have at Stena Group IT and beyond” says Annika Hult, deputy CEO Stena AB.

“I would also like to take the opportunity to thank Peter Wahlgren for the great job he has done for Stena during the last four years,”  says Annika Hult. 

Most of us lock our bikes when we leave them outside the store, for example. We do this to reduce the risk of them being stolen. Which lock we choose and how we lock them determines the level of risk we take, and this can depend, for example, on the area we are in and the time of day. If we don’t lock them at all, we’re taking an even bigger risk. In much the same way, we need to think about protecting our assets when we’re at work too. 

A risk can be described as including three parts; driver, event and impact that affect us from reaching our objective. In the case of the bike, it can be translated as someone needing or wanting a bike, they steal your bike, which means that you can’t get home as you’d planned. What you need to do is lower the risk of that happening to the level you decide is sufficient for you, by locking your bike in the way you believe is the best alternative at the time. Both the driver and impact of the same event can be different things. The impact of a bike theft is not just that you don’t get home as intended, it also entails an extra cost for you. It’s the same with us at Stena. For example, if we do not comply with laws and regulations, we may receive fines, but the biggest impact may be that our reputation and brand are damaged, and thus trust as well. This in turn can lead to our customers choosing one of our competitors instead. Low risks generally require fewer measures, while high risks often require us to work more with our risk management. If a risk can’t be reduced to an acceptable level, we can, for example, buy an insurance to further reduce the risk. Compare this with the bike shop salesperson who wants to sell you a bike insurance. Whether you buy it or not depends on your personal risk management and the risks you are ultimately willing to take. 

At Stena AB’s Corporate Governance function, we maintain a constant focus on reducing and managing risks to an acceptable level in collaboration with the companies. We also support the companies in reducing risks through ERM. ERM stands for Enterprise Risk Management and is intended to identify and manage Stena’s most critical risks that may prevent us from reaching our overall objectives. Risks must be managed at all levels and a well-functioning risk process means that we do not commit resources in the “wrong” areas but rather where risks actually affect us in reaching our objectives.

Examples of what we do at Stena to manage risks associated with our areas at Corporate Governance are the password requirements we set to reduce the risk of unauthorized persons accessing our information, and what is required to comply with certain laws and regulations. We also review which processes and controls we need to have in place to reduce the risk of fraud, for example, externally but also internally and this concerns both intentional and unintentional actions that can lead to damage. 

Ultimately, risk management is about protecting the company and its assets, including all our employees, to be able to reach what we want.

For well over a decade Stena has operated in LNG shipping, with Stena Bulk operating three LNG carriers and Northern Marine managing gas carriers belonging to both Stena and external clients.

In more recent years a range of additional gas sector solutions ranging from jettyless gas import/export terminals, gas to power terminals and small-scale LNG ship solutions have been added to Stena’s offering.  

Taking place in Milan between the 5th and 8th of September, Gastech welcomed all the sector’s major companies and an international delegation of industry professionals to the Fiera Milano Exhibition and Conference Centre at a time when rising gas prices and nation states’ gas supplies were making headline news across Europe.  

Eighteen Stena employees from Northern Marine Management, Stena Bulk, Stena Power & LNG Solutions and Tritec Marine welcomed visitors to the stand to inform of the wide-ranging gas service solutions offered across the Group.

Philip Fullerton, Managing Director, Northern Marine Group, said: “Exhibiting at Gastech 2022 alongside our Stena colleagues gave us the opportunity to better expose the market to our experience, competencies, and wide-ranging solutions.

“Northern Marine has been operating in the Gas sector for many years and today half of Northern Marine’s managed Fleet of vessels are carrying liquified gas cargoes. 

“Our gas fleet itself is very diverse, including vessel types such as VLGC, mid-sized, Ethylene and handysize LPG, coupled with Steam, Tri-fuel, MGA and XDF LNG carriers and an LNG floating storage unit. 

“We have several newbuilds recently enter management, including dual fuel VLGCs that are the first in the industry to be built with LGIP engines. 

“Alongside gas carrier management we provide engineering consultancy services including new build supervision and vessel modifications, with Tritec Marine now also offering innovative small-scale LNG delivery and fuelling solutions to the international market, via their Energy Express and SAFE Bunker solutions. 

“Well done to all the team for creating a first-class experience for visitors to our Stena stand at Gastech 2022.”

Virtual Reality experiences offered visitors the opportunity to transport themselves on to Stena Power & LNG Solutions’ jettyless terminal assets including the Jettyless Floating Terminal (JFT) and Self-installing Regas Platform (SRP).

Göran Hermansson, LNG General Manager, Stena Bulk and Chairperson, Stena Power & LNG Solutions, said: “It was a great pleasure to exhibit at Gastech 2022 alongside colleagues from across the group at our dedicated Stena stand.

“The presence of our experienced engineers, commercial specialists, infrastructure advisors and ship managers at this event was an effective way to demonstrate to potential new clients our wide-ranging competencies across the gas value chain.

“It was also a real pleasure to work and socialise with Stena colleagues from other companies in a face-to-face setting at such a dynamic event and beautiful city.”

Stena Power & LNG Solutions jettyless gas import/export and Gas to Power solutions can fill the demand currently required in Europe and other global regions for fast to market and cost-effective solutions.

Göran added: “Our assets, which also includes floating power, can be built in a much shorter time than fixed jetty / power plant infrastructure and are also much cheaper to build. These were the key advantages we were able to explain to our visitors at Gastech 2022.”

Andreas Careland has worked for Stena Recycling as a project manager on the Business Development Department since February 2022. Before he joined Stena Recycling, he used his health and fitness allowance to buy annual passes at disc golf courses, something he has continued to do at Stena as well. 

“I have always loved to spend time outdoors and in the woods particularly. Walks in the forest have always been a calming and stress-relieving activity for me. To combine these walks with such a childishly fun activity as throwing a frisbee was a definite success,” says Andreas. 

When Andreas started playing disc golf in 2010, it was mostly an activity to hang out with friends. It was not long before one round grew into several rounds a week. At his peak, he spent about 10-15 hours a week on the course. Since a few years ago, when he got his first child, the hours have decreased, but now it happens that the whole family plays together.

“When I was playing the most, I was also competing, both in club championships but I also travelled around and participated in individual competitions. I really miss the competitions, when my kids are older it’s something I plan to do again. Now I mostly compete against myself, you always want to be better than your last round”.

A GROWING SPORT WITH DETAILS

Andreas starts talking passionately about all the details of disc golf. He tells that at first, he only played with a disc called mid-range. It is a disc that is easy to control and is good for both long and short throws, in other words, it is all-round. The more he played, and his throwing technique developed, the more discs he bought. Today he has around fifty discs, all with different abilities. Andreas points out that you don’t have to buy lots of different discs to play and have fun. If you don’t want to buy your own discs, you can rent one. 

“Something that I like, is that you are constantly evolving in your throwing. Over time, I have learned a lot of technical stuff. By angling the disc in a special way, I can control how it goes in the air. The choice of the disc is also important, they all have different characteristics that can be exploited. In some cases, I need a disc that swings very much to the right, then I can choose it out of the bag. If I just throw it with the right technique, it will help me in the game”.

During the pandemic when people were to avoid indoor activities, disc golf really took off. Andreas says he is pleased that more people have discovered the sport, but there is a downside.

“When I started playing in 2010 you could play without having to queue. Gradually, more and more people have started to play, but the pandemic was really a breaking point. Many people needed a new outdoor hobby and disc golf was something that many fell for. Personally, it is sometimes frustrating having to queue, but I am glad that so many people have discovered the excitement of the wonderful sport of disc golf”.

To put the ongoing electrification in perspective, the sales of electric vehicles, increased with 43 per cent globally in 2020. During the next decennium, a tenfold increase is to be expected. To manage this conversion, in a sustainable way, it is important to create a functional and effective recycling process for used batteries. It is of importance because batteries contain important metals, such as cobalt and lithium. These metals are resource-demanding to extract. To recycle and reuse these materials in new products will reduce the climate impact of electrification.

CONSTRUCTION OF A STATE-OF-THE-ART BATTERY FACILITY IN SWEDEN

One step towards becoming a leader in battery recycling is the Stena Recycling facility being built near the Stena Nordic Recycling Center in Halmstad, Sweden. Making it possible to recycle 95 per cent of a lithium-ion battery it will take battery recycling to the next level. An industrial-scale process for safe, mechanical breakdown of batteries will extract plastic and aluminum but also black mass. The latter contains, among other things, lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which can be processed into circular raw materials to produce new lithium-ion batteries. To secure that the recycling will be as good as possible, a collaboration with Johnson Matthey, one of the global leaders in sustainable technologies, has been established. Their role will be to analyze and refine the metals in the black mass. 

CHANGED FOCUS IN GERMANY

Previously, Stena Recycling operated a business in Germany focusing on refrigerator recycling. This has now been sold. Going forward, operations in Germany will focus on growth in battery collection, processing and recycling.

“We see Germany as a strategically important market for our battery recycling investments, mainly because there are a number of major car manufacturers in the country that are at the forefront in developments within electrification. We currently have one battery center in place in Germany and plan to grow significantly over the next few years,” says Kristofer Sundsgård, President and CEO of Stena Metall Group.

DENMARK’S FIRST BATTERY CENTER INAUGURATED

In Denmark, a battery center in Farum that handles, and processes large lithium-ion batteries was inaugurated in May. The center is the first of its kind in Denmark. It was celebrated with two events. ‘Powered By Stena’ was a closed event with participants from the automotive industry and other actors. It was a fruitful event with program items including safety, EU legislation, and trends. The aim was to create dialogue and exchange knowledge between the invited stakeholders. The grand opening ceremony that took place later was attended by the Danish Minister of Energy, Lea Wermelin, who ceremonially pressed the opening button for Denmark’s first battery center. A total of 130 visitors attended and were given a tour of the battery center by Henrik Grand Petersen, MD Stena Recycling Denmark. 

BATTERY CENTERS IN NORWAY AND POLAND

During the year, Stena Recycling has also built battery centers in Norway and Poland. The battery center in Norway is located in Ausenfjellet and the one in Poland in Wschowa. 

A HYBRID EVENT ON CLOSING THE LOOP FOR USED BATTERIES 

During the fall of 2021, Stena Recycling ran a marketing campaign that led up to a hybrid event about battery recycling. The event was a success with over 750 participants, present online and at Stena Nordic Recycling Center, who listened to interesting field experts from the Stena Metall Group and invited external experts. The aim of the campaign and event was to offer Stena Recycling’s expertise and solutions on battery recycling and circularity.

In 2021, Stena Oil bought a tank from Stena Recycling. This was possible because of Stena Recycling’s investments in the Skarvik plant for hazardous waste. The investment has made the process more efficient, and Stena Recycling, therefore, needs fewer tanks. This is not the first tank that Stena Oil has taken over from Stena Recycling, they bought the first in 2020 when the new sulfur directives came from the UN / IMO regarding requirements for shipping.

“It is a long process to build new tanks since there are a lot of permits that you need to have. There is also a shortage of space in the port of Göteborg, which makes it difficult to act quickly. Because of our close cooperation inside the Group, we have been able to be quicker than our competitors, which has been a success for us,” says Martin Josefsson, Project Manager, Stena Oil. 

The new tank will play an important role for Stena Oil. It will be a key to covering the gap between the decommissioning of old tanks in the Dalanäs terminal and before the move to the terminal being built in Frederikshavn, Denmark. To get the new tank into use, the roof, which is made of steel, needed to be renewed. Martin Josefsson at Stena Oil contacted Stena Stål and told them what was needed in the project. Stena Stål had the requested plate in stock and could quickly deliver the requested material.

THE POWER IN BEING ABLE TO HELP EACH OTHER

The tank is large, around 20 meters high. For the repair of the roof, Stena Stål delivered 68 steel sheets with measures of 6m x 1,5m, in total 30 tonnes of sheet metal.

”When Martin Josefsson contacted us about the sheet metal that they needed, we became very happy. This is proof of the power that the Stena Metall Group has. We can help each other at a short notice and in an efficient way”, says, Jesper Odeholm, Branch Manager for Stena Stål in Göteborg.

The work to replace the sheet metal started at the end of February and took about three weeks to complete. All the material from the old roof was sent to Stena Recycling. Carrying out the repair in wintertime was complicated. It is very weather dependent, because of safety you cannot work when it is too windy, wet, or cold. When welding the sheet metal, there could not be any precipitation either. In this project, however, the weather gods were on Stena Oil’s side.

“We were very lucky with the weather. There were fine days with no rain or ice so the company we hired was able to work without stopping. We are very pleased with this project and the cooperation with Stena Recycling and Stena Stål,” Martin Josefsson concludes.

“This is very exciting. We’ve seen incredible developments since we started the Circular Initi-ative four years ago. The interest in close collaboration to create circular solutions is very high,” said Fredrik Pettersson, CEO of Stena Recycling AB, which is behind the event as initiator and organizer.

In addition to the record-breaking audience, the program was more packed than in any pre-vious year, with 12 different companies and organizations represented*. The Circular Initiative is now a well-established forum where large industrial companies are happy to participate in order to share their circular solutions. One that attended in the audience was Dan Sten Olsson, 

The need to meet after two years of pandemic restrictions became clear at the event.
Discussions were lively and new contacts were made.

“For me, this is a great opportunity to inspire others, but also to be inspired myself. The key to success in going circular is collaboration – not just collaboration within your own value chain, but also between different industries. That’s exactly what I see happening here,” said Lisa Ekstrand, VP and Head of Sustainability, Vestas, who was one of the participants in the event program.

EXCITING COMPANIES PARTICIPATED

Among the new companies in this year’s agenda were Blomsterlandet, Polestar and SKF, which clearly shows that circular solutions are important in all sectors. It also reflects the incredible breadth of Stena Recycling’s ability to support companies in all different industries in their circular development.

A recurring partner in the Circular Initiative is Electrolux. Barry Waddilove, Sustainability
Director Development & Collaboration at Electrolux contributed with energy on stage together with Louise Eriksson, one of the expert consultants from Stena Circular Consultant. In a popular feature, they demonstrated the scope and complexity of creating more circular products by concretely showcasing several challenging parts from washing machines, refrigerators, and cookers.

“This is our fourth year, and every year we learn new things, we create new partnerships with Stena, and we increase our knowledge. It creates a dynamic when other companies join. The knowledge increases as the initiative grows,” said Barry Waddilove.

*Blomsterlandet, Electrolux, Polestar, ABB, Alfa Laval, SEB, Vestas, SKF, H2 Greensteel, Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Stena Recycling and Stena Metall.

For an insight into the event on site in Stockholm, see the short film with some voices from speakers and audience.

Over the years, Dan Sten Olsson has treated Stena employees and their families to the Stena Family Day at Liseberg. The last time everyone gathered was five years ago, with 5,000 in attendance. This year, a record 7,650 people were treated to park entrance tickets, coffee and snacks, ride passes and lunch. Dan gave an introductory speech from the main stage, and after that, everyone had the park all to themselves for two hours.

“The reason we arrange the Stena Family Day at the amusement park Liseberg, is because our owner, Dan Sten Olsson, wants to offer something extra,” says Lena T Alvling, Head of Corporate Identity Stena AB. It’s much appreciated and a very generous gesture. I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to organize such an event where we have the opportunity to gather all the companies within the sphere, meet each other’s families and get to know each other in relaxed settings,” says Lena.

“It was amazing to see so many employees with their families gathered at Liseberg,” says Dan Sten Olsson. “It makes me realize how nice our Stena family is together. Thank you everyone for taking the time to come!”

Stena RoRo has extensive experience and highly skilled specialists for tailoring vessels for special needs. Even so, the Global Mercy presented special challenges – it had to be built both for voyages over the world’s seas as well as for providing advanced medical care in port. Stena RoRo started from an existing concept for passenger and cargo ships and created a pure passenger ship with hospital and educational facilities. The hull and interiors have been especially designed, car decks were replaced by operating theatres and hospital wards, the ventilation system has been specially adapted and particular care has been taken to minimize sound and vibrations.

The assignment was carried out in a global project involving several European, American and Asian suppliers. Construction took place at the Tianjin Xingang shipyard in northern China, with a team from Stena RoRo on site. The broker was the French Barry Rogliano Salles, BRS, headed by Gilbert Walter.

PROVIDING FREE CARE

The Global Mercy has been built on behalf of the charity Mercy Ships, which helps some of the world’s most vulnerable people by providing free medical care with hospital ships and assistance in building local healthcare capacities. Stena RoRo’s CEO Per Westling was present when the Global Mercy was deployed in Dakar, Senegal, at the end of June. 

“It’s big seeing this project come to a close after so many years of engagement on our part,” he says. “We are extremely proud to have delivered such a special ship and to thereby be a part of Mercy Ship’s amazing work.”

LIFE-CHANGING OPERATIONS

The Global Mercy is the first of Mercy Ship vessels to have been built specifically for their needs. She is 174 meters long and 28.6 meters wide, has twelve decks and space for 200 patients. When in port, the ship can accommodate 950 people, including crew and volunteers from around the world. It has six operating theatres, a laboratory, general outpatient clinics, a dental clinic and an eye clinic. There are also schools and kindergartens for the children of the volunteers.

“The Global Mercy is a unique Swedish and international industrial project,” says Stefan Sonesson, national director of Mercy Ships Sweden. “At the same time, it is a truly powerful demonstration of unique compassion that will make an impact for decades to come for the most vulnerable in Africa. Sustainability from several aspects. Stena RoRo and Stena AB have been invaluable with their knowledge, professionalism and warm commitment to the project. Our gratitude at Mercy Ships is tremendous!”

Lena Alvling in her role as Head of Corporate Identity Stena AB supported Mercy Ships as a pro bono support from Stena AB to Mercy Ships in the planning process as well as during the 2 week event in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

“It has been a privilege to be part of this big planning process and to assist Mercy Ships from an event aspect. Seeing all the people – more than 10,000 – come to visit the Global Mercy was quiet amazing!” Lena T Alvling says.

Mercy Ships has been assisting vulnerable people in West and Central Africa for more than 30 years. The new vessel is now operating alongside the Africa Mercy, which has been in service since 2007, and will double the organization’s previous aid capacity. This means that each year the goal is to be able to perform more closely 6,000 operations and train just over 2,800 local healthcare workers. In addition, thousands of dental procedures can be performed treatments and parallel aid projects also on land.

Stena Fastigheter owns and manages more than 380 properties in Sweden and abroad. In total, the company consumed nearly 63 million kilowatt hours for its Swedish properties last year. By the end of this year, the company expects to have solar panels on close to 80 of its Swedish properties, with a capacity to produce around 3 million kilowatt hours per year. 

“In three years’ time, 2026, the goal is for half of our electricity to be self-generated,” says Jakob Nilsson, Chief Financial Officer at Stena Fastigheter. “This will contribute to a reduced carbon footprint, more satisfied customers and lower energy costs.”

UNIQUE INVESTMENT IN SOLAR POWER PLANT IN URBAN ENVIRONMENT 

In Uppsala, Stena Fastigheter is now exploring the possibility of building its largest rooftop plant to date. 

“If the solar power plant becomes a reality, it will be unique in that it will be built in an urban environment,” says Mattias Sikström, Energy and Environment Manager at Stena Fastigheter Stockholm. “It will be installed on some 40 rooftops with a capacity to produce 2.1 million kilowatt hours per year. That’s more electricity than we presently use in these buildings. Part of our preparatory work therefore involves determining how the surplus energy will be used. Can it be transferred to other of our properties, or sold locally in Uppsala? Previously, Swedish legislation had prevented this, but the legislation has now been modified so that it will be easier to produce sustainable solar power in one building and then transfer it to others.”

Another large solar power plant could become reality in the Ekebo district of Stockholm, where Stena Fastigheter is looking into the possibility of creating a solar power plant on 50 rooftops with almost the same capacity as in Uppsala. 

“We installed our first solar panels on two properties in Stockholm three years ago,” says Mattias Sikström, Energy and Environment Manager at Stena Fastigheter Stockholm. “By the end of 2022, we will have solar panels on 54 buildings in the Stockholm area. Together they have the capacity to produce 1.8 million kilowatt hours per year. If we build the Uppsala and Ekebo solar power plants, we will triple our production of solar power. We’re also looking at other properties where solar cells can be installed.”

The initiative for solar cells applies all the company’s properties, which are mainly in the major cities of Stockholm, Göteborg and Malmö. 

REDUCED USE OF HEATING NEEDS WITH THE HELP OF AI

Over the past decade, Stena Fastigheter has worked strategically to reduce the use of heating, electricity and water, and with very good results. Between 2010 and 2020, heating was reduced by 30%, building electricity by 38% and water consumption by 21%. Stena Fastigheter is now taking the next step and working with artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the use of heating.

“Our traditional ways of regulation have been rather blunt,” says Henrik Hansen, IT architect at Stena Fastigheter. “In short, when it has been a certain temperature outside, we have sent out hot water with a certain temperature to the radiators, in some cases with a certain adjustment for the current average indoor temperature. But there is a thermal inertia in the buildings, and by the time the heat has warmed up the apartments, the temperature outside has already changed. With the help of a mathematical algorithm that learns how the building reacts, we can more accurately steer towards what the conditions will be in the future. The tenants get a more even indoor climate at the same time as we don’t have to use more heat than necessary.”

TEST PERIOD DURING THE WINTER

In the spring of this year, Stena Fastigheter tested the algorithm, which among other things, continuously weighs in the building thermal inertia, the outside temperature, the indoor temperature in the apartments and weather forecasts. The test, which was carried out at two properties in Stockholm, showed that the company saved 10-15% in heating compared to traditional regulation. In the coming autumn and winter, work will be scaled up as 20–30 more properties will be connected to AI.

To understand and prioritise our sustainability issues, it was necessary to undertake a materiality assessment to evaluate our current approach to sustainability and revise it where necessary. To cover all aspects of the business, department managers were invited to attend a workshop to discuss and identify topics that are important to our stakeholders and have an impact on our business. The outcome of our materiality assessment was subsequently reviewed by senior management and used to develop meaningful sustainability objectives to positively address those material topics. 

Presented here are some examples of how Stena Drilling is actively working towards achieving these objectives, thereby ensuring its activities contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

EMISSIONS TO AIR AND WATER 

Stena Drilling have maintained ISO 14001 certification since January 2003, demonstrating our commitment to the continual improvement of our well-established environmental management system to enhance environmental performance. In January 2022, Stena Drilling was the first drilling contractor to be awarded ISO 50001 certification for our entire rig fleet and Aberdeen onshore support facility.  

Stena Drilling has put in place various energy efficiency measures to ensure we comply with and often exceed the requirements of the ISO standard. 

We continually monitor the emissions and fuel consumption on our fleet, using data received from various tags on the vessels. From this data, we can monitor the consumption and emissions over a pre-determined period of time or activity, which we then use to amend operational behaviours to reduce our fuel consumption in a safe manner. This data is available to view on the rig as well as remotely at the 

Aberdeen office, which ensures that every-one in the organisation can positively contribute to emission reduction through challenging our fuel data. 

Recent success stories include Stena DrillMAX and Stena IceMAX, where we use newly installed Reverse Osmosis (RO) units to produce fresh water which reduces the boiler fuel consumption on each vessel by approximately 3m³ / day (1m³ of fuel oil = 3.12T CO2). Following this success, we now plan to install RO units on Stena Forth, Stena Carron, and Stena Don, which will reduce our overall fleet consumption by approximately 8% from just one equipment upgrade! 

As part of Stena Drilling’s Energy Efficiency Management Plan (EEMP for those who love acronyms), the hydraulic lifting system on our drillships was identified as one of the key areas where we could become more efficient. To reduce fuel consumption due to the hydraulic lifting system, specialist software was developed to calculate the number of hydraulic pumps required to perform various drilling operations. The system also shows how efficient the driller has been when following the recommended setup, allowing us to track the success of our emission reduction measures. The system has been successfully installed on Stena IceMAX and Stena Forth, where we are seeing fantastic results. We have calculated that a CO2 reduction in excess of 2,000Te per year can be achieved using the Cylinder Hoisting Rig (CHR) Lift Calculator upgrade software per vessel.  The Lift Calculator software will be installed on Stena Carron and Stena DrillMAX during their next SPS.    

Earlier this year, Stena Drilling commissioned a feasibility study on the use of alternative fuels. The alternatives were green methanol and ammonia. A detailed report has been received, and this is now being studied by our engineering team.

Along with our colleagues at Stena Teknik, we have also studied the use of hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) which is also known as ‘synthetic diesel’. Produced from a variety of vegetable and animal sources that do not compete with edible crops, HVO can significantly reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 90%. We will continue this study, however, currently, there is not enough global supply to cover demand, and the cost is approximately 3 x that of conventional diesel.

Our emission reduction objectives do not just consider our offshore fleet. This year at our Aberdeen office, we have installed solar panels on the roof of the training centre and warehouse. These panels produce approximately 229,000 kWh of power per year, which is the equivalent of 10 4-bedroom all-electric homes.

Our innovative offshore and onshore crews are continually developing new suggestions for further fuel reduction measures, and as an organisation, we believe that as a result of that, we are the ‘Sustainable Drilling Contractor’ of choice required for future oil and gas demands as part of a balanced global energy portfolio.

HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELLBEING

Stena Drilling has a robust safety culture that is governed by our Stena Management System which is constantly reviewed and updated. Our suite of management of risk tools and control of work allows us to operate safely anywhere in the world to the same high standards expected of a Stena Drilling vessel. 

To assess our performance against our peers, we benchmark ourselves against the IADC LTIF (Lost Time Incident Frequency) and TRIF (Total Recordable Incident Frequency) annual figures, regularly demonstrating best-in-class performance. We regularly receive feedback from Clients, and visiting 3rd Party contractors, regarding the positive safety culture onboard our vessels driven by our one TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) ethic which sets us apart from our competitors.

CYBERSECURITY

The Stena Drilling Organisation is certified in Cyber Essentials, a UK Government backed scheme that helps protect the business against a range of the most common cyber-attacks. The five controls tested are firewalls, secure configuration, user access control, malware protection, and patch management with the scope encompassing all sites and all networks.

Furthermore, our vessel control systems have received DNV Cybersecure class notation approval. Cyber Secure Essential (+) notation covers all essential control systems onboard our vessel including DP Class 3 propulsion, drilling, and blowout prevention. Cyber Secure class notation provides a framework to verify, improve and demonstrate our cyber resilience.

SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ENGAGEMENT

Social Engagement for Stena Drilling is vital. We currently have 2 drillships operating in Guyana where we employ 142 Guyanese locals (135 offshore). Our targeted employment rates for Guyana will see this rise to 165 by the end of 2022. We recently held an HSE (Health, Safety & Environmental workshop where we welcomed 92 Guyanese personnel. This 1-day event introduced Guyanese personnel to Stena Drilling, our safety culture, policies, and procedures and included participation from the Ministry of Natural Resources.

IN SUMMARY

Our sustainability objectives are a roadmap to improving our safety, environmental and social performance. Stena Drilling will continue to support these Sustainability Objectives and will review and update them on a regular basis. As an energy responsible Company, we continue to identify improvements in all aspects of our operations with our goal to improve the quality of human lives, protect ecosystems, and preserve natural resources for future generations.

In an industry which worldwide makes up 3% of CO2 emissions, we take responsibility for our impact on the environment. Stena Line’s vision is connecting Europe for a sustainable future. In that future we are emission-free and without negative impact on the world. We are a harassment-free workplace, characterised by diversity and inclusion where everyone has equal opportunity to succeed. This is the future we work towards every day, but we still have a long way to go. It is not called a sustainable journey without reason. 

Stena Line has an ambitious roadmap for 2030. Our targets are to reduce the CO2 emissions from our vessels by 30% and to launch our first vessel without CO2 emissions. We are taking steps to drive down our carbon footprint, including improving efficiency and using renewable electricity where available, but there is always more work to be done.

Shipping has not always been the most diverse industry. At Stena Line, we want to overcome barriers preventing talented people who could make a difference from getting on in our industry. We also believe a workforce that reflects the diversity of customers will help us more fully understand everyone’s needs. We have recently set out our ambition to become an attractive, safe and inclusive workplace for all by 2026, and have appointed a Diversity and Inclusion Lead to drive forward our initiatives in this area.

BIG LITTLE THINGS ON THE GREEN LIST

The green list is a summery of all the big little things that we have done to contribute to a more sustainable future.

SIX FOCUS AREAS TO REACH OUR GOALS

Our commitment to sustainability is centred around six focus areas linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which are directly related to our business. Ambitious targets are defined for each area, and progress is closely monitored, with the ambition that Stena Line remains a leader in sustainable shipping.

In three of the focus areas, we aim to lead the transformation towards a more sustainable future within our industry, with SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities) being the latest addition during 2021. In another three focus areas, we aim to improve our operations step by step.

5. GENDER EQUALITY

We continue to create opportunities for greater gender equality in the maritime industry, supporting women to access leadership roles across all areas of our business.

7. CLEAN ENERGY

We will work to continually improve energy efficiency on shore and at sea and actively stimulate the use of clean energy sources. 

10. REDUCED INEQUALITIES

We will strive to become an attractive, safe and inclusive employer for all so that everyone can thrive. 

3. GOOD HEALTH

We are committed to the safety of our people and our customers, and work hard to promote the health and well-being of everyone in our ports, on our vessels, and in our offices. 

12. RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION

Stena Line aims to reduce waste and increase recycling, while driving responsible procurement that is based on the case for resources. 

14. LIFE BELOW WATER

As a shipping company, we relay on the oceans and are committed to minimising our impact on marine life.