For the moment the world’s economies are doing pretty good. The US and China are increasing their pace. To the surprise of many Europe is also doing well. All EU countries show relatively good growth rates. Brazil has succeeded in implementing tough reforms, resulting in a kind of new growth renaissance. In approximate numbers, world growth is increasing from 2.5% to 4% this year. Such increase in growth is about huge volumes, which in turn lead to improved volumes and margins for companies leading to new jobs and new investments. The threat of a new financial bubble does not seem to be close. The banking system has been strengthened. However, the new credit products, for example SMS loans and credits without collateral, outside the banking system, may crash. Hopefully, it will not lead to a new systemic crisis. Interest rate increases are underway in a controlled manner.

Millions of people are lifted out of extreme poverty annually and come into contact with more modern civilization. Unemployment decreases everywhere. The threats are, in principle, not economical but instead have to do with the distribution of economic resources. As we are aware new types of exclusion are evolving. It is beyond my ability to address them. However, we at Stena are able to contribute by always thinking in inclusive terms. Through care and a sustainable mindset, we can make our contribution.

Our time is amazing in that virtually all leaders in the world understand the importance of thinking inclusively and holistically. International cooperation is taking place not only in the United Nations, but charity organizations appear everywhere and cooperate with each other. This year we have decided to participate in the WEFs (Word Economic Forum Foundation) Stockholm Center for the development of the digital part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. There will be five such centers in the world with headquarters in San Francisco. We are respected for our development in the digital field. We have not yet started with blockchain technology. It is my hope that our cooperation with WEF will enable new applications in this area for Stena to play a trustworthy role in a seamless supply chain with our customers and suppliers.

Out of the five hundred largest listed companies in the US, 80% are classified as digital. Of course, we must be part of the use of digital production technology in our operations, and also in the form of new products and services, both in existing companies and possibly in new ones.

Among the lectures, I was most fascinated by the consultancy company Bains breakfast meeting on how to win the consumer’s soul and heart leading to brand awareness. Thirty factors have been determined. The most successful consumer companies manage to cover ten of these. The factors are divided into the Maslow hierarchy of needs with fourteen basic factors, ten emotional ditto, five lifestyle factors and finally social recognition and self-esteem. In addition to Apple, Amazon and some digital companies, LEGO stands out. I think we should check how many of the factors we cover in an adequate way.

For seven years, we have supported the World Ocean Health Index. The index intends to measure the status of the ocean in different areas. Twenty-eight countries have joined. In fact, we have been the biggest contributor not only financially but also thanks to a solid work by Ken McLeod. Last year, our Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lövin called for a UN-led conference together with the Fiji Islands, in Washington.

Now, Isabella, together with Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway, has started an association Friends of the Oceans which we have joined. As user of the ocean for our environmentally friendly transportations, it is extremely important that we contribute to its good health. Through the IMO’s provisions on shipping’s environmental liability for ballast water discharge and distribution the environmental impact of international shipping is or will be close to zero. Nevertheless, our responsibility increases over time. It is important that we are part of the solution, not the problem. With scrubbers, new fuels and electrical operation, we will in manageable dimensions continue to drive the development.

Dan Sten Olsson

February 2018

Since the 1950s, the production of plastic has increased enormously and now 280 million tons of plastic are produced annually worldwide. New production methods, development of materials and constantly shifting consumer patterns are all factors that have an impact on the large volume of residual products that arise and have to be handled all over the world. 

By working together with our customers and the surrounding world, we can think in new ways and create value from something that would otherwise affect the environment negatively. If we look at the materials utilised for and in production from a circular perspective where we, our customers and society already have a plan for how the materials should be used and then reused or recycled, there is a lot to be gained. For just this reason, Stena Recycling has decided to be a sustainability sponsor of Volvo Ocean Race, where we will have an excellent arena to share our know-how and the existing opportunities for recycling.

I myself had the honour of speaking in Hong Kong at the Ocean Summit, a series of seminars held at several of Volvo Ocean Race’s stopovers, which include Hong Kong, Newport and Gothenburg. The seminars focus on the global crisis involving plastic pollution in our oceans and Stena Recycling chose to speak about how plastic, despite its bad reputation as waste, has good material properties that make possible a number of sustainable applications but must be handled in a responsible manner throughout its life cycle; not least during collection and recycling.

Thanks to a common view, we are now taking on the challenge of plastic recycling even more actively together with, among others, Volvo Cars and Volvo AB. Together we can create value both for us, our customers and above all our environment.

It starts here.

Christoffer Wahlborg

Key Account Manager, Stena Recycling

To be more precise, it is the newly established company Stena Rederi A/S that has opened an office on Tuborg Boulevard in Hellerup, just north of Copenhagen, in the middle of this vibrant Danish maritime cluster where “everybody”, both customers and competitors as well as partners, has gathered. Stena Rederi A/S together with the Stena Bulk, Stena Line, Stena RoRo and Northern Marine Group have moved into the light and airy premises of more than 330 m² furnished with Danish design finesses. A total of 25 employees currently work here, the majority of which are Danes, but there is also space for growth.

Lotta Lindström, General Manager, Stena Rederi A/S and Julie Syversen, Senior Business Controller, Stena Rederi A/S.

Danish design at the new office were Stena Rederi A/S, Stena Bulk, Stena Line, Stena RoRo and Northern Marine Group are represented.

Johnny Schmolker who is Managing Director for Stena Bulk’s Business Area Products & Chemicals is also Managing Director for Stena Rederi A/S. Lotta Lindström is General Manager for Stena Rederi A/S and was previously Business Controller Shipping and Ferries. She has a long-term commitment to Stena. Lotta’s task is to integrate the different companies, when necessary, under a single legal umbrella at the same time as each business activity/business area as far as possible is able to retain its own identity, specific culture and administrative system. A tricky task that Lotta is tackling with great dedication.

“I really enjoy being here. I’ve been given an exciting assignment and am now making every effort to ensure that this will be an enjoyable, efficient and well-functioning workplace. And we’re already well on our way”

Lotta Lindström.

THE DIGITAL NAMING CEREMONY

When the Stena Immortal was named, it was not physically present in Copen-hagen but in Houston where it is already in service. The vessel’s Danish presence was solved with modern technology and in Houston, a drone filmed and zoomed in when the classic bottle of champagne hit the tanker’s bows.

“This ship naming ceremony using available technology is a sign of the times. Our goal is greater efficiency in everything we do and, accordingly, a digital naming ceremony symbolises a measure of sustainability, efficiency and new technology. This is what we are striving for and we want to be at the forefront of this process”, comments Erik Hånell, President and CEO of Stena Bulk.

THE NEW OFFICE

The newly formed company Stena Rederi A/S has moved into the new office in Hellerup and Stena Bulk, Stena Line, Stena RoRo as well as Northern Marine Group are also represented here. Stena Bulk, which recently acquired the remaining 50% of a jointly owned company from Danish Weco Shipping, has moved their employees from its previous office in Rungsted to Hellerup.

“About 15 people are working here in our new office in Hellerup and from here, the fleet of some 60 vessels will be operated under the leadership of Managing Director Johnny Schmolker, Business Area Products & Chemicals. We will also continue to benefit from our closeness to the maritime cluster established here in Copenhagen”, says Erik Hånell.

Stena and Northern Marine are both very different organisations today from when I joined my first Northern Marine managed vessel in 1995. Indeed, when I accepted the office position in 2002 after sailing as Chief Engineer within the fleet I had no idea then that I would in the future lead the company.  My first role ashore was as Superintendent and after moving through various positions of increasing responsibility I was appointed Deputy Managing Director in 2015. Over the years I worked very closely with our clients as it is of utmost importance that we understand their requirements and deliver what they require every time.

The development of Northern Marine has always been built on the hard work, dedication and commitment of the staff whether on board the vessels, or within the offices we have across the world. Leadership is a very important aspect in any business and when I succeeded Hugh Ferguson in the Summer it was clear that to continue his success in the development of Northern Marine it would require clear strategy and communication to what the business requires to achieve.

Today Northern Marine Group is a marine services company with two distinct business streams. Ship Management and Services.  

Ship Management is our core business and has been the main area of focus over the years to ensure the fleet operates in a safe and environmentally compliant manner at all times. This key aim remains unchanged.  Looking ahead we will continue our focus on the tanker fleet and RoRo / passenger ferry fleet but at the same time expand into the offshore sector without diluting the service. Our first offshore vessel will enter management in March 2018 and looking ahead we see significant growth in this area.

Services consists of travel, training, marine supply and marine engineering business units and in their own right very separate from ship management. The growth of these business units is a key part of our five-year strategy with many exciting challenges ahead. It is very pleasing to see the dedication of these business unit heads in developing their businesses and being able to support and enhance their strategy.

Delivery of the five-year business plan is my priority alongside ensuring the operational aspects of the company remain extremely robust. Understanding the clients’ requirements remains as important today as ever, and delivering the required service is key to business development. As we look ahead, business disruption is something that we must focus on. Hopefully through good digitalisation strategies we can be the disrupter as opposed to being disrupted.  

I look forward to continuing my career within Northern Marine Group and working with all employees to build upon the good work of others and develop the company further at a time of difficult market conditions in both the marine and offshore sectors.

Philip Fullerton

Managing Director, Northern Marine Group

By tradition, a number of coins are placed under the keel during the ceremony to wish fortune and pros-perity on the seven seas. This time there were four different currencies – Swedish Krona, Chinese Yuan, British pound and Euro.

“It’s exciting that we’re now entering the next phase. We are now beginning to see that it’s a ship and 84 of a total of 305 steel sections are at varying stages of completion. The work is proceeding according to plan and the collaboration between us and the shipyard is both close and good”, comments Magnus Olsson, project leader at Stena RoRo, who attended the ceremony.

The new RoPax vessels, which are a further development of Stena Line’s successful business model of combining freight and passengers, will be 50 per cent larger than today’s standard RoPax ferries. They will be state-of-the-art when it comes to energy efficiency, flexibility and customer service.  

“We are also placing heavy emphasis on developing a range of exciting new digital features which will give our customers new experiences. This is part of our digitalization work, which will take us into the future and provide our customers with new and unique additional services and onboard experience”, says CEO Niclas Mårtensson.

“Three of the vessels under construction will be deployed in Stena Line’s system and the fourth has been chartered to the French shipping company Brittany Ferries. The vessels are designed with a focus on energy efficiency and flexibility and will be very attractive to both Stena Line and other operators in other markets”, adds Per Westling, MD, Stena RoRo.

“An important part of the newbuilding project is the mockup, a prototype where examples of the physical environments are built up before implementation begins on board. With the help of the mockup, we can see in detail both appearance and function and any corrections can then be made at an early stage”, says Bo Christensen, Stena RoRo’s site manager, who will lead the work at the shipyard in Weihai from March.

During the next six months, the hull sections will be joined together and the hull placed in a dock. This will be followed by a year for equipping the vessel and conducting rigorous tests before it is time for her sea trials. Work on the other three ferries is tasking place parallel with the first ferry.

The organisation’s practical work is based on the exchange of information between the participating stakeholders for better mutual understanding. WOC’s goal is to influence political discussions and decision-making relating to the marine environment.

Concordia Maritime and Stena Sonangol Suezmax Pool have now signed on as members together with Stena Bulk, which had joined the organisation earlier. 

“Concordia Maritime very much looks forward to what its membership of the World Ocean Council will lead to. This international platform allows us and other responsible members of the maritime trade to partner with like-minded companies from other sectors. Sustainable business and oceans go hand in hand and require a global strategy”, says Kim Ullman, President of Concordia Maritime.

A large number of guests, both customers and partners as well as employees and representatives of the shipyard and corporate management, had gathered at the shipyard to attend the solemn ceremony. The naming ceremony began with traditional Chinese dancing and music after which godmother Jean Mulholland swung the bottle of champagne against the newbuilding’s bow and wished the vessel fortune and prosperity on the seven seas. The Stena Impero’s captain, Vinay Singh, then gave the guests a guided tour of the tanker. After her delivery on 7 February, she sailed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of vegetable oils from Asia to Europe.

13 SISTER SHIPS NOW DELIVERED

The Stena Impero was delivered on 7 February. She is the last in a series of 13 IMOIIMAX sister ships, representing an investment of SEK 4 billion, ordered by Stena Bulk at the shipyard Guangzhou Shipbuilding International (GSI) in 2012.

“It was exactly three years ago that we took delivery of our first vessel in the IMOIIMAX series and all the vessels have performed beyond our expectations. Both the technical and the commercial concepts have proved to be very successful and have set a new standard for cargo efficiency and bunker consumption. With the delivery of the Stena Impero, the IMOIIMAX fleet is now complete, in line with the order, and is a significant and competitive addition to our high-quality fleet. At the same time, it is an important step forward and a development of our existing sophisticated trading system”, comments Erik Hånell, President and CEO of Stena Bulk.

“In conjunction with the final delivery, we took the opportunity to thank the shipyard GSI for fantastic collaboration with Stena Teknik during the development of the technology and during the three long years of production”, adds a satisfied and proud Erik Hånell.

All the IMOIIMAX sisters sail in Stena Bulk’s logistic system, which focuses on refined petroleum products, vegetable oils and chemicals. The fleet consists of 60 vessels related to Products & Chemicals and is operated from Stena Bulk’s recently opened office in Copenhagen with support from the company’s offices in Singapore, Houston and Dubai and its head office in Gothenburg.

“The prerequisites for plastic recycling are changing rapidly. Technology development is dynamic, the demands on clean raw materials in the world around us are intensifying and we have a common sustainability ambition with our customers. The goal laid down by Stena is to recycle and sell substantially large volumes of recycled plastic granules in the future”, says Mats Ottosson, Head of Operations at BA Recycling, who heads the Strategic Forum Plastics, which studies how the Stena Metall group should develop the recycling of different types of plastic.

Plastic has an undeservedly bad reputation as a throwaway material. Every year, several million tons of plastic waste are produced in Europe. Only a fraction is recycled. But correctly used, plastic has numerous advantages and the potential exists to transform plastic waste into a valuable recyclable resource just like many metals.

Today, customers are showing greater interest than before in recycling plastic. At the same time, several global brands are signalling that they will increase their usage of recycled plastic in the near future. Possible buyers of Stena’s plastic granules are, for example, IKEA and Trioplast, one of the largest manufacturers of plastic film and carrier bags in Europe.

“Recycling plastic is extremely complex. But as a leading recycler, we have decided to participate and lead developments. Thanks to our size and our considerable expert knowledge, we can take on this challenge. With Stena Nordic Recycling Center in Halmstad as our base, we will be making new process investments in the near future to increase our volume of plastic recycling”, says Mats Ottosson.

Recycling plastic creates large sustainable values throughout the chain – at manufacturers all over the world and at Stena. Increased recycling is also supported by the EU’s new plastic strategy, which was recently adopted. A lot is currently being done to drive plastic recycling towards completely different levels than before. Together, we can conserve resources and reduce the environmental impact in new ways.

In a research project conducted together with Chalmers University of Technology and Borealis among others, Stena is testing how, by means of chemical recycling, plastic can be gasified and plastic waste recycled at the molecular level and then used as a raw material for new plastic. Different types of plastic waste are being tested at the Chalmers Power Central in Gothenburg. In 850° C generated by a gasifier, 200 kg of plastic is transformed into synthetic gas, which can then be used to manufacture propylene, ethylene and other types of hydrocarbons. These can then be used as a raw material in the manufacture of new plastic. The tests at Chalmers University of Technology are promising and the goal is to change the current situation where the majority of the plastic waste today is incinerated and leaves the natural cycle.

“What we at Stena are contributing is primarily knowledge about recycling and supplies of different plastic fractions that are not suitable for recycling. It’s very difficult to separate all the different types of plastic that exist using mechanical sorting. The good thing about gasification is that you can get round the problem”, says Christer Forsgren.

A long-term goal for Borealis is to build a refinery for plastic waste at their facility in Stenungsund. Every year, Borealis produces more that 600,000 tons of plastic pellets, which are used in the manufacture of everything from cables to sophisticated packagings. The company wants to reduce the need for virgin fossil raw material by using more recycled plastic.

“If it had been easy to recycle all plastic into new plastic, it would have already been done. I’m convinced that plastic waste won’t be incinerated in the future and instead be transformed into new plastic. But it will take time and maybe incentives will be needed to make recycled plastic raw materials competitive compared with plastic manufactured from cheap oil”, says Christer Forsgren.

He notes that there are studies showing that the manufacture of plastic in the world will quadruple by 2050 and will increase from 6 to 20 per cent of all the oil used for this purpose.

“If we can circulate the plastic waste to new plastic products, we will also be able to conserve the finite fossil resources. Today, plastic waste is a rapidly growing challenge for the business community and local authorities due to the rising demands of the world around us. Gasification of plastic waste could definitely be part of the solution when it comes to recycling the large volumes of plastic that today go to waste in the incineration plants”, says Christer Forsgren.

“We believe that there are considerable benefits when using robots to carry out processes that today have to be performed manually or semi-manually – ¬both because it saves time and money and reduces the risk of errors due to the human element. We’re now hoping that more companies at Stena will be interested. The five robots Stena Rederi has invested in still have a lot of spare capacity”, says Monica Söderbergh, Financial Manager at Stena Line.

Robotics is a relatively new phenomenon so far utilised mainly by insurance companies and banks with many repetitive and time-consuming processes.

“It’s nice knowing that we are at the forefront in the field and that we can see that it’s a new technology that can really contribute a lot. So far, there aren’t that many making use of it, and now we’re trying to build a network so that we can help each other to develop”, says Monica Söderbergh.

DIGITAL CO-WORKERS

The robots can be likened to a type of digital co-worker that can be used to automate rule-based processes. They are at their most advantageous when it is a question of repetitive processes with high transaction volumes and a need for fast response times. A robot is not the same thing as an IT system or program; instead, the robot logs into the systems and works in them in the same way as a normal employee. But neither is it a question of AI – the robots only do what they’ve been told to do and have to fetch data from some digital source they have access to.

“One advantage is, of course, that they can work 24/7 the whole year”, Monica Söderbergh points out.

LOWER COSTS

So far, seven processes have been robotised in Stena Line’s accounts department and more are on the way. The first process, which involved automating the addition of new suppliers to the supplier register, proved in actual fact to consist of several different processes. One of the reasons was that the ability to check the information varies between different countries. In Sweden, the robot can, for example, reconcile the supplier information with Bankgirocentralen, but it needs to use other methods in other countries.

“The advantage of having the robot manage this process is that it fast and removes the risk of double registration at the same time as it constitutes a quality assurance of the information and automatic control of the supplier”, says Monica Söderbergh.

SIMPLE TO DO ON ITS OWN

Another process involves closing the period at the end of each month.

“The action itself took only ten minutes, but there was a vulnerability if the person responsible was absent. Now, we get an e-mail from the robot every month informing us that the period is closed”, says Monica Söderbergh.

In order to be able to handle and create new processes in the department, three employees in the accounts department, Anne Larsson, Edina Hadziosmanagic and Caroline Dahl have attended a training course. This means that it is now a relatively simple matter to robotise new processes without requiring help from the IT department.

“Setting up a new process doesn’t require any programming and, instead, functions more as a highly sophisticated macro in Excel. The input required is a detailed description of the process itself and each new process takes about two weeks to set up”, says Monica Söderbergh.

Also other parts of Stena Line are beginning to look at the opportunities for robotising different processes.

“Stena Fastigheter and Stena Metall have also been in touch and we hope that even more companies will. We are more than happy to help and share our experience with everybody wanting to know more about the possibility of streamlining and quality assuring their work”, says Monica Söderbergh.

PROCESSES SUITABLE FOR ROBOTISATION

• Rule-based processes with digital input. Requirement
• Repetitive processes with high transaction volumes. Advantage
• Processes requiring a fast response. Advantage.
• Processes with historically many errors due to the human element. Advantage
• Around 4 of 5 rule-based processes are well suited for robotisation.
• Robotisation is also highly suitable for cleaning up in different processes.

ADVANTAGES OF ROBOTICS

• Saves both time and money – theoretically, it is said that one robot can take over tasks equivalent to the time needed by 9 persons. The cost of a robot is approx. SEK 100,000/year if the operation of at least five robots is managed.
• Takes over boring, repetitive tasks and frees up time for other work. Can work 24/7 all the year round.
• Increases traceability and reduces the risk of both errors and fraud.
• Provides quality assurance of information and processes.
• Extremely fast implementation in relation to other IT tools.

HELP NAME THE ROBOTS

• Do you have any suggestions for names of Stena’s five robots? If so, you can e-mail your suggestions to: monica.soderbergh@stenaline.com

After beginning with a coffee break, it was time for the day’s lectures. Robert Almström, Contract Manager at Stena RoRo, shared with us the very interesting Baltiysky case. What was initially a good business relationship between the shipyard Baltiysky Zavod JSC in St. Petersburg and Stena finally came to an end 12 years later, via numerous legal bodies and arbitration, in favour of Stena. One of the lessons from this lecture was perseverance pays.

After dinner, we listened to Anders Hansen’s lecture Brain Power. Anders is a physician and psychiatrist and he talked about the latest research on how exercise directly affects our brain’s functions and our health. When we exercise, we handle stress better, our memory improves, we become more creative and intelligent and feel better. Anders gave concrete tips on how to exercise in order to achieve the positive effects.

“Having the opportunity to meet and get to know each other is very useful. The two lectures were also very interesting and instructive and the participants responded very positively”, says Jeanette Johansson, CEO Secretary, Stena AB.

Caffeine and alcohol. Everybody reacts differently to caffeine, but since caffeine is a stimulant, it can disturb one’s sleep. Our body sees alcohol as a threat to our conscious state and thus tries to “wake us up”. This results in sleep becoming shallower and you waking up during the night or earlier than usual in the morning.

After physical activity, relaxation and winding down come as natural consequence. On the other hand, it takes a little time for your body to wind down so don’t train too intensely 2-3 hours before going to bed. 

Bedtime restriction. According to research, one of the most effective methods for better sleep is “bedtime restriction”. This means that you should only lie on your bed when you intend to sleep. Calculate how many hours you sleep on average during a week; begin with when you want to get up and calculate backwards. The time you arrive at is the time you should go to bed. Try it out for a week and see if the method works for you.

Sleep only at night. Try resting instead of sleeping during the day.

More light during the day. Make it as light as possible when you get up. Turn on lights, pull up blinds. Take a morning walk and/or a walk at lunchtime.

Turn off the lights before going to bed. Try gradually turning off the lights. Don’t sit in front of a computer screen, mobile phone or LED TV late in the evening.

Sleep in a cold room. A lower body temperature is good for sleeping and if the temperature in your bedroom is 15-18°C, you help your body to relax. If you don’t want the bedroom to be too cold, you could try opening a window before going to bed.

Rest before going to bed. Going from being awake to sleep is a gradual process. Try to have a routine where you relax before going to bed. It’s often better to sit up until you feel tired rather that trying to wind down in bed. Set an alarm for one hour before you intend to go to bed and, at the same time, turn off any computer, mobile phone or TV.

Get out of bed if you can’t sleep. If you are finding it difficult to get to sleep, it might be better to get up and leave the bedroom. Sit down and rest for 10-15 minutes. Go back to bed and think: if I sleep, I sleep. Repeat this procedure if necessary. Remove everything associated with being awake or stress from the bedroom. Charge your mobile in the kitchen!

Agneta Kores, MD of Stena Fastigheter in Gothenburg, shows a page from a PowerPoint presentation. It is full of dashes, names and dots that describe all the construction projects in progress and to be started up in the City of Gothenburg. Several of the projects will result in urban infill.

“We’re benefitting from our large land assets and building apartments in former parking space in areas where we currently manage apartments. We then add multi-storey parking or parking space beneath the buildings”, says Agneta Kores.

One of the areas currently undergoing infill is Kvillered in Lundby where more than 290 new rental and tenant-owner apartments are being built. The first sod was turned by Peter Eriksson, the Minister for Housing and Digital Development (Swedish Green Party) in November 2017.

“Before beginning construction, we hold dialog with tenants and other interested parties. In Lundby, we are working right next to existing buildings and we haven’t receive a single appeal. I see that as an acknowledgement of our good work with relationship management”, says Agneta Kores.

According to Agneta Kores, investments in infills are increasing value in the existing areas. They are also giving tenants the freedom of choice to move within their own neighbourhood when both rental and tenant-owner apartments are being built.

“Regardless of whether you are a tenant or tenant-owner, knowing that we don’t just build and leave gives you a greater sense of security. Stena Fastigheter is already in the area and will continue to be there in the long term”.

Agneta Kores is also convinced that Stena Fastigheter’s local knowledge and work on creating good relations with the tenants have contributed to Stena Fastigheter, in competition with other companies, being awarded three new land parcels in attractive areas by the City of Gothenburg.

“One of these is Nya Hovås Two in the west of Gothenburg where we will utilise our special expertise regarding relationship management. We will work together with other players and the City of Gothenburg to develop the area”, says Agneta Kores.  

HIGH DEMAND RESULTS IN CONSTRUCTION RECORD

At the beginning of this year, Stena Fastigheter had 13 construction projects in progress in Gothenburg and Stockholm comprising more than 1,300 apartments. During the year, a further seven construction projects, comprising 830 apartments, are planned for start-up.

“This is an all-time high when it comes to the production of apartments in progress. In addition to this, in 2018 we will begin the construction of more apartments than we deliver to our customers and our management companies”, says Niclas Melander, MD, Stena Bygg.

As a result of Stena Fastigheter’s focus on new builds, the company Stena Bygg’s personnel has doubled in a couple of years and the company now has 26 employees. MD Niclas Melander, with long experience from NCC, was recruited to the company at the end of 2017 to lead the investments in the construction of new rental and tenant-owner apartments.

“We have a new organisation where we work with both rental and tenant-owner apartments. The latter is relatively new for us and requires a new way of thinking and acting now when we are focusing on private buyers”, says Niclas Melander.

FROM MANAGER TO URBAN DEVELOPER

Eight of the 20 projects Stena Fastigheter and Stena Bygg are working on are located in the Stockholm region. As in Gothenburg, the investments are in both existing residential areas and on new land. One of the new areas is the district Vega in Haninge where Stena has already begun construction and plans to continue to build apartments for several years. A new commuter train station is expected to be built in in the area in 2019.

“The production of new apartments means that we have to change how we see ourselves. For many years, we’ve been good at managing with social commitment. This is basic for us and we will continue to work with it, but now we are also helping to drive urban development in a more distinct way”, says PG Sabel, MD, Stena Fastigheter Stockholm.

Stena Fastigheter has a tradition of taking care of the areas it owns in order to create a good living environment and security for its tenants. With new production of apartments comes also new questions that have previously been seen as questions that are the responsibility of local authorities, says PG Sabel.

“We find ourselves facing questions that have normally not been faced by management companies. How should we think when it comes to schools, preschool, is this something we should become involved in? Do we need to participate and influence decisions on what community service must be provided, primary health care centres and so on. This is a question that is much bigger than just building houses and here there are new business opportunities”, says PG Sabel.

For Stena Fastigheter, urban development is now a natural part of its business activities. The projects involving the production of new apartments are being integrated into Stena Fastigheter’s existing relationship management concept and means that Stena Fastigheter will not only contribute new apartments but also utility for residents and the community.

“When you are, as we are, a large player with a long-term approach in the industry, you are not only a property company but also an urban developer”, says PG Sabel. 

Cecilia has spent her whole career in the construction and property world. After having graduated from Chalmers University of Technology with an MSC in Engineering, followed by a trainee position at Skanska and a variety of roles in Nordic project development, she moved to the UK where she was Vice President of Skanska UK. She was then appointed as MD of Sverigehuset. She was recruited to Stena Fastigheter from Castellum Region Väst.

“I was very proud to be asked and I didn’t have to think for long. For me, Stena Fastigheter stands for a long-term approach. It’s also clear that our relationship management is a success factor in our work on being commercially successful in the long term”, says Cecilia Fasth.

At the same time as Cecilia Fasth settles in in her new role, Stena Fastigheter is in the process of transitioning from being a management company to being a central player in urban development.

“It’s exciting. Our focus is on social sustainability and more new builds in our existing areas. This means that we contribute to the development of the cities where we have a presence”, says Cecilia.

With her previous experience from the UK – which is a leader in social sustainability – Cecilia also hopes to be able to contribute to strengthening and making visible the on-going work concerning sustainable residential environments.

WHAT ARE STENA FASTIGHETER’S LARGEST CHALLENGES?

“It’s a challenge upscaling new production when historically, we have focused a lot on management and in recent years we have seen a sharp increase in outsourcing costs. In my experience, however, there are an enormous number of advantages in having a strong management organisation as a basis with knowledgeable employees and good customer relations when you are going to increase the share of new builds.

We need to continue to focus on our work with security and wellbeing in our areas. The advantage is that Stena Fastigheter is a strong and long-term owner, that we have goals for the development of our areas and tools for dialogue with and commitment to our customers. At the same time, there is an opportunity to make our mark on the agenda. That appeals to me”, Says Cecilia Fasth.

We will need to increase our proactive sales efforts in the organization in the future when we produce tenant-owner apartments. Here, too, I see the benefit of our know-how when it comes to commercial properties where there is experience of sales work in tough competition as the customers often have a large number of premises to choose between”.

BEGAN THE YEAR ON THE ROAD

Cecilia Fasth began working in the office in Gothenburg in January 2018 and has since visited in quick succession Stena Fastigheter’s different companies and personnel. When SfärNytt asked her what she is like as a boss, she laughed but at the same time she was quite clear about how she wants to work.

“Naturally, it’s always difficult to describe oneself. I practice teamwork and I like diversified teams, different ages and different backgrounds. Keeping the team together can be challenging, but if you succeed it usually leads to better results. It’s important to have common goals and work towards achieving them. I’ve been given a very warm reception and the organization has a big heart. Stena Fastigheter is a popular employer, which can be seen both internally and when visiting customers. It feels good to be on the team. I want to contribute to us continuing to be best in Sweden at relationship management, to be a significant player in urban development and improve the cities where we are active”, says Cecilia.

The battery project is an important part of Stena Line’s sustainability strategy. In the future our target with the ‘battery’ is to be able to navigate the vessel 50 nautical miles.

“Sustainability is very high on our agenda and we are constantly evaluating new ways to reduce our impact on the environment. From 2015, for example, methanol is part of the fuel mix on Stena Germanica, which operates between Göteborg and Kiel, and we also run around 300 different energy saving projects. As both the size and cost of batteries decrease, battery operation becomes a very exciting alternative to traditional fuels for shipping, as emissions to air can be completely eliminated”, says Stena Line’s CEO Niclas Mårtensson.

The battery project will commence now and will be completed step by step. In step one, it is about switching on battery power for bow thrusters and maneuvering when berthing in port. In step two, an extended battery operation is connected to the propellers, meaning that Stena Jutlandica can be operated on electricity within around 10 nautical miles, equal to the distance between Göteborg and Vinga Lighthouse.

In step three, battery capacity is further expanded and a vessel can operate about 50 nautical miles of electricity corresponding to the distance between Göteborg and Frederikshavn.

 “The objective of accomplishing this in several steps is to test and gather knowledge about electrical operation along the way”, says Harry Robertsson, Technical Director Stena Teknik.

The technical solutions are being developed together with Stena Teknik, which cooperates with the academic world, authorities and various suppliers. The project has been received very positively, and the first phase is supported and financed by half by the Swedish Maritime Administration and the EU.

If the project is successful, battery operation may also be applicable to other vessels in the Stena Line fleet of 38 vessels.

FACTS

The technology tested is based on plug-in hybrid technology. The batteries are charged when the ship is connected to shore power, which is also an important focus area on clean energy, but can also be charged while operating the ship’s generators.

THE DIFFERENT STEPS OF THE PROJECT

CLEAN ENERGY

In October we inaugurated a shore power connection in the Port of Trelleborg and we now have 13 vessels connected to green electricity whilst in port and our aim is to connect another one this year. 

In 2017 we converted the last main engine on Stena Germanica and she can now run on methanol as well as diesel. At the moment both of them are part of the fuel mix.

Our Energy Saving Program completed
their three hundred project – an important part of our ambition to save energy and to achieve the target of reducing emissions of CO2 by 2.5 % yearly. 

RESPONSIBLE CONSUMPTION

We sell approximately one million carrier bags in our shops onboard yearly and we have tried several alternatives. We have now chosen a recyclable bio-plastic bag made from sugarcane. We have also introduced a paper bag.

We aim to phase out plastic disposables on board and we continuously test several biodegradable alternatives of mugs, cutlery and food boxes. 

To guarantee a responsible consumption we have launched new supplier standards that will be implemented during 2018. 

LIFE BELOW WATER

To protect life below water we have a zero vision for oil and fuel spills and this year we did not manage to reach that vision. 

Following a mapping of detergents used for on board cleaning we managed to double the use of Eco-label detergents last year. 

We have installed three ‘closed loop Scrubbers’ on our vessels and this makes it possible to clean most of the Sulphur dioxide from the emissions of our vessels both to air and sea. 

GOOD HEALTH & WELL BEING

Safety always comes first at Stena Line and that includes both our staff and our customers. Therefore we are happy that our safety target LTIF dropped significantly last year. 

Health & well-being goes hand in hand and by supporting several sports events and activities around the business we encourage our people to enjoy physical activity. 

During autumn Stena Lines employees and guests donated money during a coffee cup campaign. The donations were equivalent to running an operating room for two weeks onboard Mercy Ships hospital ships.