I believe one insight is Capacity to deal with Decisiveness and Duality. Which is – Our ability to prioritize and find the right balance between opposites creating successful decisions. There are often two sides to take into consider-ation.

I think it is worthwhile reiterating that – Truths must be said and accepted in time, otherwise it will be too late to understand, clarify and adapt.

We must accept that – The work in each business unit must be based on set systems and processes. Our capacity to succeed is then based on good continuous collaboration and development, which demand good communication. We can only expect people to take the right decisions and actions if they are properly informed and listen to understand. This is why we need to know who to ask or refer to in order for our communication to work.

To deliver successfully, our collaboration with external parties such as suppliers, ports, authorities and financial institutions must work well and be outstandingly effective.

Stena is appreciated for our capacity to make Decisions relatively fast, simply and not without courage.

Effective use of time means we are prepared for decisions that have to be made. It is the well-prepared person who wins. In situations where no decision is needed, normally no decision is made. Never hesitate though to make a decision in a situation, when a decision has to be made – It is a failure not to make a decision on time. Caring is about using the power you are entrusted with.

Being a relatively old company we strive for profits in the long term, but how do we keep up the necessity of Business acumen or capacity to make money every day.

In order to ensure our future and our existence, (which is very difficult in times like today), we need to earn money for the company every day. No one will give us new money, if we overspend what we already have.

TO REFLECT ON THE STATE OF THE WORLD FROM A DIFFERENT POINT I TOOK MY WIFE AND A FEW FRIENDS TO THE ANTARCTIC.

The first thing we met was a two kilometer long ice floe. Its height is thirty meters which meant there is another 260 meters below water surface. Is the Antarctic melting at an outstanding pace or not? That is what scientists are trying to establish. We shall hear all sorts of alarming reports in the near future, but it will take a long time before we know and understand the full picture. Climate science is a very complicate subject as there are so many factors affecting what is going on. Such factors are the activity of the sun, air streams, ocean streams, gyration of the earth, the change of the magnetic poles, air temperature, water temperature and the state of the atmosphere. It is widely accepted that the increased CO₂ concentration has a negative effect on our atmosphere. I am not so sure of how much. Nevertheless, when one´s existence is or might be threatened one does something about it. Mankind will survive. An increase in the sea level of let us say six meters or sixty meters which corresponds to the total amount of ice in the Antarctic will of course be disastrous. Historically for the last centuries the sea level has increased with roughly two decimeters per century. There are estimates that the increase in sea level for the next century will be between a half and one meter, provided we do something about it. Apart from reducing our consumption of oil per mile, we at Stena work with alternative fuels and electricity by battery. We also invest heavily in windmills. We are active both in oil transportation and drilling for oil. The fossil fuel society will last for quite a while yet, but we must accept that replacing energy – sources and carriers must be introduced.

THE WATERS OF THE ANTARCTIC ARE CLEAN

It looks as if the streams around the Antarctic so far have ejected waste coming in to its systems. But what do we know? The ocean streams of the world are interconnected. It takes however five thousand years for a drop of water to travel by the different streams around the world and back. We have all read about plastics destroying the oceans of the world. What I am most upset about is that a lot of that plastic is plastics that has been exported to mainly Asiatic countries together with other waste from Europe and the US. Such export is in most cases illegal. Nevertheless with no control it takes place. At Stena Nordic Recycling Center we are now investing MSEK 250 to improve the way we recycle plastics. With plastics relatively concentrated to a few but large sites in the ocean there is a need for governmental initiatives to clean up the accumulations. Private industry can never do it as the recycling value of used plastics is minute or close to zero. 

FREE TRADE IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE?

The biggest threat to the world´s economy, in the near future, is that the households of the world are deep in debt and it applies also for a lot of industry and governments. The financial crash of 2007/2008 was a result of too much debt that could not be repaid. The situation is better now, but total debt in comparison to GDP does not go down. This fact could create a precarious situation. It is true that in the last twenty to twenty-five years the standard of living for the total world measured by increased GDP has advanced fantastically well. It has however not been evenly distributed. Poor nations have been favored, whereas disadvantaged people in reasonably well off nations are suffering not only from lack of a rise in income, but also from increasing threats to their existing standard of living. Economic progress does not favor everyone at the moment. This is not new in history, but new to the present generation in the western countries. Superfluously difference in area and difference in time hopefully will play out to everybody´s advantage. It is not certain that it will though. That is my opinion of what is driving the uncertainties in the world today. My simple attitude to the problem though is that the more we have the courage and attitude to think in inclusive terms instead of excluding terms the higher the chance for all of us to enjoy a bright future. We ought to remember that making wars was probably profitable for the winning side up to year 1900. After the first world war it has not been the case. On the contrary our capacity to think in inclusive terms instead of excluding terms has generated a success unwitnessed before. My hope is that we shall soon return to this way of thinking.

Dan Sten Olsson 

Gothenburg 24 February 2019

The national team coach had, in the last second, declared the team. It consisted of Ebba Andersson, who dominated in the World Cup and who confidently handed over a lead to the 19-year-old junior Frida Karlsson, who in turn had only participated in one senior competition before the World Cup. Frida became the Word Cup’s new Crown Princess – coming from nowhere, she went home with three medals. She delivered on her leg and handed over to Charlotte Kalla. 32-year-old Kalla had not been in good shape and many people watching the race probably sighed in front of the TV, thinking that her competing was over. Kalla made her life’s relay leg and handed over a clear lead to Stina Nilsson. Stina was chased by the best female cross-country skier in the world, Therese Jouhaug, who caught up. But, in the decisive moment, on the home straight, Stina forged ahead of her and Sweden’s first World Cup gold medal in women’s cross-country skiing relay was a fact.

I often find inspiration for my leadership in sports. Sure, some newcomer among compe-titors that you’ve never heard of has snatched an order right in front of you sometime. Or, even more frustrating, a tired and older competitor who suddenly bursts with new energy and performs fine results. Or the companies that year-on-year deliver reliable results, like Ebba on the first leg.

The coach has an important mission here. To monitor the competitors, while at the same time see and match the individuals in their own team. What young talents in my team do I need to let through? And can I motivate someone who has worked many years to muster that extra energy when it’s most crucial. Are the steady employees confirmed? Those who reliably deliver to our customers, making Stena a little better every day.

I was hit by the words “stay relevant” in the responsibility we have as a Stena Leader and tried to examine myself by them. As I did so, I came to think about the time when our then 14-year-old son wanted a computer. His dad and I went to the store and asked our son if he wanted a desktop or a laptop. He replied that he would rather have a gift card, and his wish came true. Our son ordered six different packages online, to then put on a headlamp, watch an instructional movie on Youtube and in 8 hours build his own computer, without help. Stay relevant…

Fifth time lucky for the cross-country skiing women. Personally, I’ll challenge myself with a team of four in Exploring the golden minds one of the Ready 4 Anything courses. For who wants to be outrun on the home straight? 

Cecilia Fasth

Stena Fastigheter AB

During the annual meeting week in the Alpine village, access is strictly controlled by the Swiss army, the police and countless security guards. Out of the approx. 3,000 participants, about half are from the business community, which are representatives of the largest companies in the world, and about half are politicians, researchers or representatives of interest groups. This year, around 30 heads of state, representatives of most large multilateral organizations such as the UN, the IMF, the World Bank, but also prominent researchers and interest organizations such as Greenpeace and the 16-year-old Swedish girl Greta who is on strike from school, joined the meeting.

The formal program consists of approximately 400 different seminars that in various ways touched on the theme of the year – “Shaping a global architecture in the age of the 4th Industrial Revolution”. Political leaders made grand statements, challenges were discussed and information and research findings were shared. Outside the actual congress and formal program, just as many seminars were held by companies and organizations. These are often smaller, but perhaps even more dynamic. However, the real activity lies with the informal networks and smaller meetings that take place separate from the program. Apps, links, groups, meeting rooms, meeting landscapes, and everything else you can imagine, are well arranged.

The program is hectic. Breakfast seminars often start at 7 am. You can manage 5-6 seminars a day and maybe as many meetings. Double dinners, which in itself is not unusual for me, were followed by double cocktails in the evenings.

I have found it difficult to make a meaningful and simple summary of the discussions. But here are some main themes:

From an economic perspective the world is doing fine, thanks to globalization, peace and technology. Overall, the earth has never experienced so much prosperity as today and the economic indicators are strong. Brexit was barely discussed at all and most people believed that the US and China will eventually fix a trade agreement.

Companies and business leaders are the ones who benefit the most from globalization. They are controlled by a Friedmanian focus on making money and serving their shareholders. However, politicians and existing structures do not have the ability to maintain confidence in open liberal market economies on their own.

The world is big and there are a great many perspectives and views on what constitutes a problem, and what the solutions are in regard to complex and integrated challenges.

USA and China see themselves and the world very differently. One country stands for individual rights and the other for social stability. The world is facing a major conflict in regard to economics and values.

The discord between the 28, soon 27, very independent EU countries is tangible and the fault lines are clearly noticeable both along a north-south and an east-west dimension. The EU will probably continue to be successful, but structural reform or global leadership is not to be expected. Cecilia Malmström, our Swedish trade commissioner, has global heroic status thanks to the battery of bilateral trade agreements and reforms in the WTO.

The sustainability discussions completely dominate the European political agenda and are supported by science. From a political perspective, the US was not present, so Johan Rockström’s warnings about a “global hot house” were alarming, but will probably not lead to the radical changes that the world demands in order to avoid dramatic changes to our planet.

In 1950, Europe had twice as many inhabitants as Africa. Now, Africa has twice as many inhabitants as Europe and in 2100, Africa will have ten times more inhabitants than Europe. Africa has its own discussion and is politically occupied with fighting poverty for the approximately 800 million people who still live under the poverty line.

The oceans and ocean environment were high on the agenda. Plastics and plastics in the sea catalyze a lot of focus also on other issues such as fishing, the sea’s capability to feed 10 billion people, the sea as CO₂ sink, acidification and temperature rise. Stena’s work on supporting the organization Conservation International and their so-called Ocean Health Index is valuable and has attracted attention. Similarly, Marie Eriksson’s support for an incubator for new companies in the marine environment area has good impact and gives Stena a voice in the conversation. One of my strongest impressions from the conference was the UN’s envoy for the sea, Peter Thomson’s statement “We cannot afford to be pessimists”.

“De-carbonisation of shipping” and “The future of transportation and logistics” were themes that were discussed at several seminars. Together with Maersk we have a leading voice in those conversations. Stena Line’s methanol operation means that we are clearly perceived as technically leading and solution-oriented. We should be proud of what we do, but the pressure to find non-fossil solutions for air and sea is significant and it will only increase.

Stena is part of a group representing the transport and logistics companies where volumes, legislation and technology were discussed. Traditional industry is facing a major upheaval thanks to digital platforms, not least in the transport sector. Everyone is afraid of Amazon. Everyone has the ambition to redesign their business models entirely, everyone understands that data is key and everyone struggles to be able to transform quickly enough. Every company must find its own incremental way – ready-made consulting solutions do not work – and everyone in a leading position within a company has to understand the challenge – if not then you have to replace people quickly.

Several pure platform companies have clear ambitions to make companies like ours, i.e. “asset owners” into “commodities”. They have created tremendous valuations of their companies based on the fact that they will be successful. That really gave me something to think about and is the core of the logistics positioning we have set in Stena over the past few years. Are we fast enough?

If we, as “traditional companies”, are afraid of Amazon, the tech companies are afraid of Alibaba and Tencent – the so called super platforms – something that Björn Linder, CIO Long Term Equity,  constantly reminds me of. We are back to the fact that much of the development in the world takes place in China. China’s vice president was there, as was Jack Ma and many others. It is, however, obvious that the agenda is still set by Westerners who do not have insight in or understanding of what is the underlying development in China or in Chinese companies. In purchase power parity (PPP), China is the world’s largest country, the US is number 2, India number 3 and Japan number 4. All these countries are located far from Davos.

To sum up, I think it is extremely valuable that there is a forum where politics, companies and interest organizations meet and that Stena is part of that dialogue. It is undoubtedly also invaluable to be able to have free and easy discussions with the heads of many of our customers, suppliers and our legislators. However, with influence and power comes also responsibility. We carry that responsibility as a company and as privileged individuals in privileged countries. There is no global plan – we are the plan.

The leadership program R4A helps Stena’s leaders develop the skills necessary to tackle future challenges. One of these important skills is the ability to take advantage of energy.

“The impact one has as a leader is often much greater than we think, in terms of both gaining and draining energy. If you can get a grasp on the factors at play, you can easily take advantage of the power and resources that energy contains and entails, which contributes to long-term sustainable leadership”, says Linda Mickelson, Head of HR Stena Rederi who developed the module with Janine Sjöö, Head of Employee Experience Stena Line.

To inspire, motivate and channel energy you have to take advantage of your strengths as a leader, whether these are based on a more introverted or extroverted style of leadership.

“Both are equally good. An inspirational leadership style is all about passion and authenticity”, says Linda Mickelson.

The positive and negative energy one generates relative to other people in different situations is largely based on the needs, talents and goals one carries with them. All participants in the module must therefore begin by taking a test that reveals their own motivation factors based on these needs and talents. Before the training session you also listen to three TED Talks that talk about different leadership styles.

One leader who has already completed the module is Pernilla Frödén, Business Development Manager, Stena Fastigheter.

“I’m working on project changes in the whole organisation, and for my part, the training has provided both useful insights about myself and great tools I can use when working with other people. I’m impressed that an education like this could be created, where one can learn – over the course of just one day – so much about what drives you, what creates energy drainages, and how you can use this to become a better leader”, says Pernilla Frödén.

The positive experiences from the education have led her to take on the Gain or Drain team day.

“The hope is that they will come away with the same I got and that it will strengthen the group even more”, says Pernilla Frödén. 

Gain or Drain is closely linked to one of the other modules included in R4A, Exploring the Golden Minds, which highlights the importance of diversity when it comes to ideas and perspectives. Since these modules are naturally linked, it is good to take them in sequence in order to see all the pieces of the puzzle. 

The Ready 4 Anything program sharpens specific capabilities that we need for effective leadership in an increasingly dynamic and fast-paced world. The more efficiently we can develop these abilities, the more advantage we gain compared to other players in the market. Good leaders who have the ability to develop their business, their employees and themselves provide a clear competitive advantage!, says Eva Hansdotter, HR Director People and Organizational Excellence.

THE NEW LEADERSHIP PROGRAM READY 4 ANYTHING DEVELOPS STENA’S FUTURE LEADERS

Leaders at Stena are responsible for developing their employees, the business and themselves, which requires new skills as the outside world changes. The new Leadership Program Ready 4 Anything (R4A) is another step along the path towards positioning Stena’s leaders to capture the opportunities of the future. The program is divided into six modules, which are given on an ongoing basis and which are aimed at all leaders within Stena.

To become a really good leader you need to understand how you create your own energy, how you use that energy and how you transfer that energy to other people. We only have one life and life is short. We need to do a lot of good business but we also need to take care of ourselves. Have fun, do good things and inspire, that’s what this course is about, says Carl-Johan Hagman, CEO, Stena Rederi AB.

4 VOICES FROM GAIN OR DRAIN FEBRUARY 26

Therese Jällbrink, Business Interaction Manager, Stena Bulk
What has been the best about today?

” It has been an opportunity to reflect on what motivates me and how this can be perceived by others. Something I will also bring with me is to try to spend more time on the behaviors that are my strengths and on what gives me energy.”

Helena Cronholm, Technical Lead, Stena Line
Have you had any new insights during the day?

“Yes, especially when we talked about talents or strengths and how it makes you feel when using them. I can feel euphoric and in the future I will make sure to stop and reflect on what made me feel like this – so I can maximise the energy it gives and benefit from it.”

Mikael Stenvaller, Group Chief Accountant, Stena AB
What are you bringing with you from today?  

“When working in teams, it’s important to understand different people and perspectives and today has provided a good opportunity to reflect on different driving forces and motivations. It has also been exciting to have the opportunity to network with people within Stena who you have not met before and to learn from the open and good discussions we had during the day.”

Sumit Trikha, Marine Resource Manager, Northern Marine, Indien
What are you bringing from today that you and your team can use?

“It has been useful to have a closer look at what it means to be extroverted versus introverted. One thing that I will work more with in the future is to create an atmosphere that takes advantage of the strengths and differences of each personality type. We did really great group work and had good discussions throughout the day. I can really recommend everyone to attend this module!” 

DON’T MISS OUT!

Modules in Ready 4 Anything that you can sign up for right now:

2 April & 7 May: Envisioning the future

10-11 April and 21-22 May: Exploring the golden minds

24 April: Gain or Drain

Read more about Ready 4 Anything in SfärNytt no. 84, October 2018 and at https://r4a.stena.life

The Stena Estrid is the name of the first ship that has now been launched. She will be operated by Stena Line and starting at the beginning of 2020, she will sail between Holyhead and Dublin. Of the total of eight ships, Stena Line will operate five, two of which feature the elongated design. 

For the third ship in the series, a keel laying ceremony was held and, following tradition, a few coins were placed on the keel block. This ship has a long term charter agreement with the French shipping company Brittany Ferries, and together with a sister ship, it will operate between Portsmouth in the UK and Bilbao and Santander in Spain. Also, DFDS has signed a long term charter agreement for an E-Flexer, which will be used for traffic in the English Channel.

Stena RoRo is leading the construction in Weihai. CEO Per Westling says: “We are very pleased with the great collaboration with AVIC ship-yard, which includes both the development and the production of the E-Flexer series. From our customers’ side, we have very high demands for customisation and flexibility, which the shipyard has met, bringing high quality to the project in general”.

The Stena Estrid is one of three E-Flexers that will enter service on the Irish Sea. In early 2020, she is expected to start sailing between Dublin and Holyhead. The next two are scheduled to go into service on the route between Liverpool and Belfast.

“It feels great to have reached another milestone in our construction process with the launching of The Stena Estrid. Now an intensive construction phase awaits, where the interior will be built before she heads to Europe and begins operating in the Irish Sea”, says Stena Line’s CEO Niclas Mårtensson who was on site at the shipyard in China.

The three newbuilds for the Irish Sea will be 215 meters long and have a cargo capacity of 3,100 lane meters and accommodate 1,000 passengers and crew. The capacity will thus be considerably larger than the current tonnage.

“We believe in continued growth on the Irish Sea and would like to give our passengers and freight customers the best possible transportation experience. Compared to the existing ferries The Stena Estrid has many advantages, such as faster loading and unloading, modern and airy Scandinavian-inspired design, which among other elements includes a section with skylight windows, a Hygge Lounge and an upgrade to the Stena Plus concept”, says Niclas Mårtensson.

“This is a typical Stena RoRo project. Through adaptation and flexibility, we design and rebuild vessels to meet our customers’ specific requirements. It’s what we call Stenability”, comments Mikael Abrahamsson, Conversion and Project Manager, Stena RoRo.

“On the European market, demand is greater than avail-ability for this type of vessel, which is why we have turned to the Asian market, primarily Japan”, concludes Per Westling, CEO Stena RoRo. 

​The company will develop and offer the European car industry new sea-based transport solutions. Stena Glovis will combine resources from Glovis’s European organi-sation and Stena’s well-established European network. The head office is located in Hamburg with Hans Nilsson as CEO and S.T Kim from Glovis as vice president. Now, the practical work begins with setting up the business and transferring staff to be able to receive bookings from the European market in the near future. Present at the ceremony in Amsterdam included Carl-Johan Hagman and Hans Nilsson.

Visit Stena Glovis Website

Our vision “Connecting Europe for a Sustainable Future” defines our overall purpose. It summarises our efforts to connect Europe with a large route network and our customers but also reflects our cognitive journey. Our vision also underlines our responsibility for a sustainable future from an environmental, social and long term financial perspective.

When I became the CEO of Stena Line in 2016 we launched our vision “Connecting Europe for a Sustainable Future” along with a strategy focusing on three core elements; One Company Approach, Operational Excellence and Commercial Positioning. Sustain-ability and Digitalisation were both seen as strategic areas that we needed to develop further in the future to be able to diffentiate ourselves from our competitors. 

Our strategy has delivered. In the last three years our revenue and net margin has increased. Our operation has become more efficient and we have increased the car deck utilization while sailing more trips.

STRATEGY REVIEW 

The world around us is moving fast and to ensure that we continue to evolve, my management team and me have spent the last months updating our existing strategy. We have met and listened to managers as well as several groups of employees with a diverse background in a strategy challenge. We wanted to explore how the existing strategy could evolve, but also to look further in to the future and identify what factors that can and will affect us later, as well as in which areas we need to develop our business.

The result is an update of our existing strategy and our core elements remain valid; as there is big trust in it and true proof that it´s working. We will continue to focus on delivering a seamless transportation with a focus on RoPax ferries carrying passengers, cars and freight. Our five E-Flexer newbuildings is a strong evidence of how we continue to strengthen and standardise our flexible fleet. Already this year the first of the vessels, the Stena Estrid, will be delivered and in the beginning of next year she will start operating on the Dublin-Holyhead route. 

THE WORLD´S FIRST COGNITIVE FERRY COMPANY

Digital Transformation is the core of our updated strategy and we aim to become the world’s first cognitive ferry company, fully assisted by artificial intelligence. This will improve our Efficiency, another focus area in the updated strategy, but also increase our revenue. This will also mean that we need to adapt to new ways of working. Challenging but exiting! Read more about our cognitive journey on the next page.

To ensure a financially sustainable future we need to continue to grow our business. Growth will be enabled partly by the increased capacity of the E-Flexer vessels but also through an increased focus on developing and strengthening our role in the European logistics network.

PEOPLE ON THE AGENDA

We have also put People on the agenda to make sure we will attract and retain the right talent in the future. We have a zero tolerance for harassment and we strive to give all employees equal opportunities to grow and develop, regardless of age, gender, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or geographical location. We will continue to focus on a strong One Company culture where we all are working for Stena Line, not a specific vessel or region. In line with this focus on our people we will add another UN Sustainable Development Goal, Equality & Inclusion. We will continue on our sustainable journey in all areas and we will continue to claim the position as the leader of sustainable shipping wherever we operate. 

All in all, I feel confident that our updated strategy will continue to deliver results and I am proud to continue to lead Stena Line in to the future. 

Niclas Mårtensson,
Chief Executive Officer, Stena Line

Stina will help make the customer experience even better, by providing assistance in booking a trip, keeping track of delays and answering questions 24/7 on the website and in the Travel Mate App.

So far Stina speaks English and only exists in the UK, but the goal is to have her speaking the native language of all Stena Lines markets.

Next up is Swedish and German, and we are also looking into voice command. 

At the moment Stina is at level 3 of cognitivity. 

– The initiative is taken by the young people themselves. And it’s also youth who carry out work in the residential area, says project manager Robin Augün, who co-founded Young Arena.

Next door to Mälaren and surrounded by beautiful mixed forest we find Bredäng. The area, consisting mainly of apartment blocks but also detached houses, is home to nearly 11,000 people and Stena Fastigheter has just over 700 apartments. For those who want to commute to inner Stockholm, it takes 20 minutes by subway from Bredäng’s town center. A town center that is close to Robin Augün’s heart.

– It’s a meeting point for people in the area. What I love about Bredäng is that we have created a very cohesive community, where we help and care about each other. I’ll go to the town center to buy milk it ends up that I will meet someone I know, then we become two, three or ten people and next thing I know three hours have passed.

FROM IDEA TO ACTION

Robin and his friends had great visions and ideas in 2015, but they had no money, nor a place where they could meet and build on their dreams. Then the association came into contact with Sarah Pettersson, who works as a relation-ship manager at Stena Fastigheter Stockholm.

“Sarah Petterson was the first to believe in us and our idea. It was enough to have a phone call and a meeting with her. Then it all went quickly, and we had what we needed to start and operate this association. And a lot has happened since then”, says Robin.

COLLABORATION WITH STENA FASTIGHETER

In the role of relationship manager, Sarah
Pettersson works to realize neighborhoods where people feel safe and comfortable. She doesn’t do it alone, but rather together with other staff at Stena Fastigheter and in collaboration with other local actors. For Stena Fastigheter, it was an obvious choice to be involved with and support and collaborate with Young Arena.

“The members of Young Arena are incredibly committed to creating a pleasant and safe Bredäng. Something that is important to us as property managers. The collaboration also contributes to greater pride and social cohesion. Furthermore, the young people that get involved with Young Arena develop the confidence to facilitate their own activities in the area and project-manage them. This makes it so that they have a place to grow and develop, while giving back to their neighborhood”, says Sarah Pettersson.

FROM BINGO FOR SENIORS TO TALKS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

In the basement of one of Stena Fastigheter’s residential buildings, we find Young Arena. Konrad, Kevy, Samir, Daniel, Melina, Kalab and Eren are sat on a sofa and Robin reads the night’s agenda, which he has written down on a piece of paper. Among the agenda items is a collaboration with the Red Cross and the evaluation of the Bredäng Day – a day of activities during the festival where young and old meet and get to know each other.

“Our goal is for this to be an annual event for all ages”, says Robin.

With their contributions, the members of Young Arena want to, among other things, help young people focus on their studies, highlight local role models and help young people find jobs. They also organize girl and boy groups where participants have the opportunity to talk about things that affect them, such as mental health. The association also works to strengthen the connections between young and old in Bredäng, giving rise to events like bingo nights with the pensioners.  

“In many cases, creating change doesn’t require as much time and energy as many believe. The more of us that are involved, the less time each individual needs to put down. I myself work a lot with this. But it gives me more energy than it takes”, says Robin, smiling.⁄

Watch the film featuring Robin Augün and Young Arena at stenafastigheter.se/mittkvarter. Learn more about relationship management at stenafastigheter.se

www.stenafastigheter.se/stena-fastigheter/relationsforvaltning/

“We identified Stena Fastigheter as a perfect principal partner. The company is working on similar issues as we are. We work in the same geographic area and Stena Fastigheter has extensive experience working with social issues. We know we can’t do everything ourselves, but together we can make a big difference”, says Markus Nilsson, Vice President of Hammarby Football and the point person for The Community Match.

The overall goal of the partnership is to contribute to greater security, greater equality, reduced vandalism and getting more people into jobs in residential areas of Söderort, Stockholm. The collaboration kicks off with a summer job fair in April, held at the Tele2 Arena. Moreover, a football tournament is being planned together with Blue-White personnel and youth from Skärholmen.

“We have a close relationship with other institutions in the area. Our neighborhoods are part of something bigger. That’s why the Community Match fits us like a glove”, says PG Sabel, CEO of Stena Fastigheter in Stockholm.

FACTS

Learn more about The Community Match  at samhallsmatchen.se

Watch the film where Stena Fastigheter relationship manager Sarah Pettersson and Abel Abraham, CSR manager, Hammarby football talk about The Community Match at stenafastigheter.se

The patented technique is called HaloSep. It makes it possible to solve several problems arising from waste incineration. The technique uses two problematic remnants to neutralize each other in a joint process: alkaline smoke ash and hydrochloric acid. What remains is treated and washed ash, a saline solution that can be discharged into the sea or used as road salt and a metal concentrate that can be recycled in a smelter.

“It’s win-win in many ways. The facilities do not have to buy large quantities of chemicals for purification. HaloSep tech-nology also makes it possible to save a lot on transportation every year, as it’s no longer necessary to transport ashes long distances to special landfills. The treated ash is cleansed of heavy metals like lead and zinc, and clears the EU’s requirements for being deposited at the local landfill”, says Christer Forsgren, Head of Research & Development, the Stena Metall Group.

The technology was developed in the Research & Development department at Stena Metall Group, and now a demonstration plant is being built in Vestforbrænding in Copenhagen, with support from the EU program LIFE.

“This will be the first full-scale plant. Our aim is also to find applications for the treated ash, such as construction materials. Then we can remove the ash completely from the landfill”, says Christer Forsgren.

The explanation for the prize is as follows: “We are looking for world-class suppliers evaluated based on quality, logistics, total cost, innovation and commitment. That you are awarded this prize confirms your understanding of Gnuttis’ expectations for a global provider that delivers the highest quality.”

“I am very proud and happy that we have been awarded this prize. Over many years, we have built up a close and value-creating partnership with Ljunghäll, which has made for strong mutual business. This is an award for all employees at Stena Aluminium for our efforts and our commitment to create value for our customers, so that we are and will remain the customer’s first choice”, says Fredrik Pettersson, CEO of Stena Aluminium.

Image above:

The prize was awarded in January. Ola Manestam, Marketing Manager, Stena Aluminium, Thomas Lavesson, Production Planner, Stena Aluminium, Catrin Loman, Purchasing Manager, Ljunghäll, Tony Lidberg, Sales, Stena Aluminium, Anette Lund, Sales Support, Stena Aluminium and Fredrik Pettersson, CEO, Stena Aluminium were present.

In just a few years, electric cars will have completely taken over.

All of these vehicles demand large amounts of batteries that need to be taken care of in the best possible way the day they are exhausted. 

Inquiries from various vehicle manufacturers about Stena Recycling’s ability to recycle their batteries markedly increased throughout 2018. There is now a range of initiatives and projects within the Stena Metall Group to meet future demand for battery recycling. One of the most important is the building of a battery center at Stena Nordic Recycling Center. While there have previously been variations of recycling methods for batteries, now a holistic approach is being taken that will enable larger-scale activities. 

Among other activities underway, Stena Recycling’s staff are physically analysing and taking apart various types of vehicle batteries. All work is being documented in different ways so that it can be fed into the system that is currently being set up and serve as the focus of dismantling.

“To begin with, we are making more moments together. We learn faster and we can directly discuss the various steps it takes to carry out the work safely. It feels very exciting to be involved from the beginning in this context and Stena Recycling definitely has the capacity to become a leader in this area”, says Michael White, who works at the battery center.

“This is just the beginning, we now have a solid, scalable foundation for Stena RoRo’s digitization”, says Magnus Bergenlid, Commercial Operations Manager, Stena RoRo.

Stena RoRo is a transaction-intensive business with a great need for information to make timely and effective decisions. Previously, the information was spread across a number of different sources and gaining access to it often involved time-consuming phone calls, which usually only gave part of the picture and searches on various websites.

“The reason we started developing this system was that we knew there was automatically generated data that we wanted to be able to collate and look at without having to log into multiple portals, where we don’t own the data. In addition, there are occasions when, for various reasons, we do not want to ask the different parties, and now we don’t have to because we get the data automatically”, says Magnus Bergenlid.

The new system incorporates both the internal data from our vessels’ operation as well as travel reporting, fuel, positioning and financial information as well as various external data sources that provide relevant information to the business and make it possible to monitor vessels of interest to Stena RoRo.

“Overall, it provides a very good overview of both our own operations and of the market, which saves time and creates the potential for new business opportunities. One aspect of this is sustainability, namely the more effective utilization of tonnage and how it is used in terms of operating patterns. If we have a ship that is optimized for 20 knots and a customer who wants one that runs at 15 knots, we can easily see that now, and in many ways have a greater understanding of how we can offer our customers sustainable and flexible ship solutions”, says Magnus Bergenlid.

The system also provides a good basis for investment decisions, something that Stena RoRo has already benefited from. An example of this was when they were recently considering an investment in fuel-saving equipment on board one of the ships.

“For the equipment to really save fuel, certain conditions must be met, which among other things concerns the speed at which the ship is running. Now we can directly go in and see the ship’s operating profile”, says Magnus Bergenlid.

Development of the system began in the fall of 2017 and took about one year. The process has been iterative, with close collaboration between Stena RoRo and Stena IT, where there was constant check-ins about needs and benefits.  

“It’s been a huge advantage to be involved from the beginning, which is not so common. The close collaboration has meant that Stena RoRo has been involved with our technical challenges and we in their business challenges, which has made it very clear what is possible and what is not. Together we have created a very good product, and in a cost effective way, which has also generated valuable knowledge in-house”, says Carl Lejon, Technology Business Manager, Stena IT.

Today the system is used by dozens of users at Stena RoRo, but it can also easily be scaled up thanks to the use of a standarized cloud-based platform from Microsoft. Because the system is cloud-based, it can be accessed via a mobile app from wherever you are –  a big advantage when part of the team is constantly travelling. Stena Line is even looking at developing a similar product.  

“They will be able to borrow some parts of the logic from us, even if their system is built using different data. And it works vice versa in that they will share with us when they have developed smart new solutions. To be able to have such a knowledge exchange is incredibly valuable”, says Peter Veiszhaupt Stena IT, who has been the project’s system architect and developer.

Nanna Gillberg, a researcher at the Gothenburg Research Institute currently on an assignment from the Ministry of Employment to find new ways of organizing work life, gave an inspiring talk about where the limits are in a limitless work life. How should employers and employees behave when digital tools contribute to erasing the previous boundaries between work and free time?

We learned that people with flexible work-ing tend to experience an increased work intensity, which means that they ultimately work more per hour worked. Even though in practice one works more, both employees and employers are more satisfied. 

“Being available to a greater extent also means that clear and consistent boundaries have now become blurry and up to the individual. Higher demands are thus placed on the individuals to set and communicate boundaries themselves. Is it required for you to be available and looking at your phone and email all day, or do you just think that’s what’s expected of you?”, asks Nanna.

Furthermore, we learned how the brain is affected by an activity-based workplace, how we should get the work done when approxi-mately 45% of the time is spent on email and meetings. How employees should be their own personal brand, be flexible and adaptable, have interpersonal skills and a clear customer-oriented mindset.

The idea behind network meetings is not only to get to know each other in order to make the daily work smoother and more efficient, but also to learn more about Stena as a whole. Per Wimby, who works as a project manager on renovation and construction projects at Stena Teknik, gave a lecture about future fuels. An important topic that is in Stena’s interest, which also affects our shared future.

With global and SECA’s local emissions limitations (0.5% and 0.1% sulphur, respectively) and Dan’s explicit wish to have an electrically-powered ferry to Denmark in 2030, Per began by recounting the fuels and solutions that are available now. LNG, methanol and oil in conjuction with the installation of scrubbers which means that one cleans emissions.

“Because our ships have a lifespan of about 50 years, it is important to have the knowledge to transform and rebuild the ship when new fuels become a reality. We are constantly working to refine and we analyze everything from operation to the bottom color and the design of the bulb and rudder”, says Per.

But in order to meet carbon reduction targets for 2050, we are also looking into alternative fuels. The Stena Jutlandica has recently been fitted with a battery container to test how the battery works under real conditions.

“We use green shore power to charge the batteries in the harbor, but so far the electricity has only been supplying battery power to thrusters and used as a back-up for electricity used on board. In about three to four years, we believe we can sail to Vinga using electricity. The third step in the initiative involves building new vessels without diesel engines. The Stena Elektra is one such idea”, says Per.

Batteries act as a sort of energy storage. But what is important is that the energy source is green. We are also looking at solar power, but the problem is the limited surface area of the ship. There is also a lot of talk about hydrogen fuel cells, where Korea and Japan are leaders. Methanol could continue to be interesting as it can be extracted from forest waste, so-called bio-methanol.

These interesting presentations were followed by a tour of the hotel and then it was time for the group to have dinner together.

Peter Boras arrives with a wealth of experience having previously held a variety of leadership roles in Marine Supply, as well as Defence and Government sector supply.

Most recently, Peter headed up the Seven Seas Group operations in the Middle East, as Managing Director. 

The appointment follows the arrival in 2018 of Allan Woods, Deputy Global Head and Mikael Karlsson, Group Head of Sales.

Peter said: “I am excited to be on board with such an impressive organisation and I am looking forward to working with the Francois Marine and Offshore team as well as the extended Northern Marine and Stena family. While the Company has had a solid reputation in the Marine Supply industry for some time, the hunger to develop further and achieve growth is apparent throughout all levels of the organisation. There is a great opening to make an impact in the Ship Supply landscape, coupled with the opportunity to develop and grow a sustainable and robust Procurement and Supply Chain platform.”

“The infrastructure is outstanding, and the staff are exceptional. We are very confident that we will make an impact in the industry in 2019 given the level of service and efficiencies we can offer.”

Peter will be based in Singapore, having recently relocated from Dubai. He will report to Dominic Fernandez, Director of Marine Supply, Northern Marine Group. 

Dominic said: “It is with great pleasure that I welcome Peter as Head of the Francois Marine and Offshore management team. An international veteran of the industry, Peter brings with him a wealth of knowledge and know-how. Together with the recent appointments of Allan Woods and Mikael Karlsson we look forward to implementing many new developments and initiatives aimed at putting Francois Marine and Offshore at the spearhead of innovation in the industry”.

For more information on Francois Marine and Offshore www.francoismarine.com/

Tritec Marine – a Northern Marine Group company – entered into partnership with Shanghai-based Bluesoul in 2017, to supply the shipping community with scrubber solutions which will meet upcoming International Maritime Organization (IMO) 2020 sulphur emission regulation. The new regulation requires vessels to reduce their sulphur oxide emissions to 0.50% m/m by 1st January 2020.

While Tritec Marine provides plan approval and consultancy engineering to the partnership, Bluesoul provides considerable manufacturing capability.

In 2019, fifty engineers will manufacture and install 8-metre-tall scrubbers into the funnels of various vessel types. The cleaning system within the non-pressurised cylinders remove sulphur oxides from the ship’s exhaust gas, thus reducing the vessel’s environmental footprint. 

 “Bluesoul and Tritec Marine adopt bottom-up design approaches, meaning we put ship owners’ operational needs in mind; we fully understand ships’ itineraries, remaining life span, actual engine loads and all matters that might affect CAPEX and OPEX,” said Wei Wang, CEO, Bluesoul. 

He added: “Bluesoul currently has three production bases, each scaled to produce more than 10 scrubber towers per month, so we are well prepared for the surging demand in the coming years. It is however shipyard availability which is key to ensuring new orders are delivered prior to the IMO 2020 regulation deadline and we have 3 dedicated shipyards, with an additional 4 in reserve, so we deliberately retain substantial redundancy in dock spaces for our own EPC projects. In fact, we are one of the very few scrubber makers in the market that could offer total turnkey solution packages to shipowners.”

Implementing scrubbers across vessel fleets allows Bluesoul and Tritec Marine to use a “Think Big” work approach, meaning they start all preliminary works early, such as 3D scanning and onboard surveys. 

Simultaneously taking large numbers of similar orders allows them to modularize each sub-system, which in return makes economies of scale in design, material, sourcing and production all possible. 

David Scott, General Manager Director, Tritec Marine, added: “We have a proven track record of technical project and shipyard engineering work in China, so this partnership is built on a very solid foundation of existing knowledge and experience”. 

“For the system itself, we produce a modular design, meaning when the ship arrives in the shipyard the equipment is already being built. It means we don’t have to dismantle part of the ship and then reconstruct it with the equipment inside, which would take a long time. With our solution, we can fit the scrubber efficiently and effectively in around 2 to 3 weeks. Ship owners and their technical and commercial teams are very busy running ships, so we manage these projects for them. The solutions meet their needs and ultimately satisfy IMO 2020 requirements.”

“We will accomplish the goals for 2030 with today’s technology, and Stena Teknik has always worked to streamline our ships to reduce fuel consumption. This involves, for example, the hull design, propulsion, grates for bow thrusters, but also concerns how the ship is operated. A ship has a life of about 50 years, which means we must be flexible and able to rebuild in order to adapt to new future fuels”, says Per Wimby.

One example is the Stena E-flexer, which is a traditional diesel vessel, but with 20% less horsepower installed. The Stena E-flexer is scheduled to enter service in 2020 and the idea is to be able to adapt the ship when new technology is in place. Another solution is to install scrubbers. Instead of running on the cleaner fuel, which is more expensive than heavy oil and still produces emissions, the emissions can be purified to below 0.1%
sulphur. So far, seven ferries have been equipped with scrubbers and 15 tankers have ordered scrubbers to be installed by 2020.

But to meet carbon reduction targets for 2050 we will need to look at new and more efficient solutions. The Stena Jutlandica has recently been fitted with a battery container to test how the battery works under real conditions, and battery power is something you work a lot with.

“To service short routes (Gothenburg-Frederikshavn), around twenty-five 40-foot containers are required and many wonder how these will fit. But if you remove the diesel engines, there are no obstacles. Optimally, of course, entirely new ships are specially designed for battery operation like the Stena Elektra. (See the film: Stena Teknik Electro-
mobility at vimeo.com.) The batteries are charged at the port with fossil-free fuel and have a life of five years according to the manufacturer. In practice, this means about 8-10 years”, says Per Wimby.

NEW FUELS

“Solar cells are gaining ground, but currently solar cells can only contribute approximately 5% of the energy needed. So not enough to run a ship with. However, I believe that sun and electricity will be processed on land which then produce environmentally friendly fuels that can be taken on board. So you can bring solar energy on board and compete with oil. This also concerns fuel cells and using wind to sail again, with the help of so-called Flettner rotors. Värmland’s Methanol is building a factory where forest products (branches and tree tops) are turned into biofuel (methanol), Rotterdam gasifies waste into methanol and Canada is working to produce ethanol from garbage. Right now, there is a lot of talk about hydrogen (hydrogenation) because hydrogen does not contain carbon. CO₂ emissions would be eliminated”, says Per Stefenson. “But my vision is that in the future we can run on methanol fuel cells”, he concludes.

NAME: PER WIMBY

YEARS WITH STENA: 25

INTERESTS: Golf and activities on water

BACKGROUND: Shipbuilder from the beginning and has, among other positions, served as Operations Manager at Stena Line Scandinavia where he initiated the Energy Saving Programme with fuel savings of 2.5% per year as a result. Member of the Stena Efficiency Group, where the idea is that all companies involved with shipping should share knowledge and experiences. Per initiated the first electricity project on the Scandlines route between Helsingborg and Helsingör and has designed battery power on the Stena Jutlandica. His most recent project revolves around the Stena E-flexer.

NAME: PER STEFENSON

YEARS WITH STENA: 9

INTERESTS: Sailing, hiking and carpentry at his cottage in the countryside.

BACKGROUND: Has a background as a shipbuilder and has worked in the EU research programme for shipping. The last 9 years Per has been employed as a Marine Standards Advisor at Stena Rederi where he regularly follows the legislative and technical development of alternative fuels. He has worked with the Stena Germanica’s methanol power, and the installation of scrubbers on the Stena Hollandica and the Stena Britannica.

Roger was born and raised in northern Sweden without any real connection to the sea. It was only when he was 19 years old moved to Gothenburg to begin his university studies that he came into contact with sailing through a friend who had a small sailboat. Since then, the fascination for the sea has only increased.

“20 years have passed, I have a wonderful wife and three children and my daily work is to meet cancer patients, perform surgeries, and be responsible for the department. In the past I used to, inspired by Tintin and Captain Haddock, dream of adventures around the world, but unfortunately I have spent my time at work and very little on adventure. I guess I’ve just gotten a little boring. When I turned 40, my wife had a fantastic idea. She contacted a number of shipping companies with the following question: ‘Would it be possible for my husband to get to cross the Atlantic? He needs something new, he needs a break from the Internet, and all the mail, but most of all, he needs an adventure. ‘Stena Bulk was the only company that responded, and my wife and Vice President Johan Jäwert began arranging the trip without my knowledge. Guess how surprised I was when she told me my 40th birthday present was a trip across the Atlantic on an oil tanker!”

Saturday, October 27 at 2:00 am, Roger boarded the service boat in Gothenburg, and 30 minutes later arrived at the Stena Impeccable.

“As I climbed up the ladder, I felt like Tintin and Indiana Jones at the same time! The second officer welcomed me and by 06:00 we had fueled up and set our course for Puerto Rico. We crossed the North Sea, crossed the English Channel, snuck past Biscay and began to slowly cross the Atlantic. Being on such a huge ship with such big machines in the midst of the proper ocean nearly took my breath away. I tried to learn as much as possible about everything on board, but I also tried to keep out of the way so I wouldn’t be a bother. Pretty soon, I picked up the routines, woke up at 7am, exercised in the gym (which I don’t even do at home), showered and went up to the deck, where with the help of many cups of coffee, tried to learn the very basics of navigation and how everything works onboard. I took every chance I got to participate in the duties of the crew with everything from lubricating the winches on deck, studying Learning Engagement Tool Programme to reading books about mooring.”

HOW IS LIFE ONBOARD AN OIL TANKER?

“The rhythm onboard is different from the rhythm onland. One can best
describe it as slower but longer. Captain Seutkins described the difference between waves and swells, and when I think back it is probably precisely the difference between these that is a metaphor for life onboard. Onland, life is more like waves. Shorter,
 faster and more aggressive. Onboard the Stena Impeccable is more like a swell. Slower, longer and soothing. Added to this rhythm was daily routines of work, rest and exercises. I was impressed by the people who worked on board. How mentally strong they are to be able to work in such a limited space for nine months. The crew was incredibly positive and I’ll try to take some of that with me.” 

WAS THERE SOMETHING ELSE ONBOARD MADE AN IMPRESSION?

“I was incredibly impressed with thoughtfulness around safety and the environment. Every possible scenario had been worked through, analysed and described. One example was when the crew smeared winches. Oil that ended up around the edges was gathered and taken care of so it would not end up in the sea. I didn’t think one would actually care about such small things out in the middle of the Atlantic, but it was obvious that safety and environment come first. Then I was of course incredibly impressed by the ship itself. An enormous and complicated machine that requires a professional crew that can handle every little detail.”

IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIAL YOU WANT TO CONVEY TO THE CREW OF THE STENA IMPECCABLE?

“I am incredibly touched by your dedication, your attention to detail and your perseverance. I follow you on the internet and see that your journey has continued to exotic places. To sail across the seven seas as you do, for the rest of us is just a dream. I got to experience something you only do once in your life and I will never forget it. I hope I get to meet some of you again!”

In 2018, we invested considerably despite the circumstances in order to position ourselves in the market to renovate our time charter fleet. From the second to the fourth quarter, we signed contracts for six vessels in the Suezmax* size class and now another one this January. From a low of 18 vessels in the Sonangol-pool where these ships operate, we are now once again up to about twenty-five, and there is room for more.

Another commitment made last year was the establishment of a new joint venture, GSB Tankers, together with Japanese Bay Crest Management, for expansion in Asia. GSB Tankers, which will manage operations and the commercial service of medium-sized chemical tanker, started their collaboration 1 January 2019 from the Golden-Agri Stena** premises. In addition to the head office in Singapore, GSB Tankers will have offices in both Dubai and Tokyo. Initially, eighteen chemical tankers will operate, but the goal is thirty ships within the next year.

If we instead look at some general factors going forward – international circumstances that affect us, such as the crisis of sanctions against Venezuela as well as against Iran, the continued unrest in Libya, OPEC cutbacks in production and America’s increased production – these are factors that have both positive and negative impact, but on the whole and in the long run starting summer 2019, the majority of scenarios we’re looking at indicate a sharp rise in the market.   

Further positive factors that we take into account in our predictions are renovations to install scrubbers, which are the result of stricter global sulphur directives from the IMO. This will probably mean a logistical challenge for oil transportation in general – which is good for us – and which of course also has an impact on the market. Last year was a record year for the phasing out of older tankers, which was partly offset by increased access in the beginning of the year.

Looking ahead from a broader perspective, 2019 and especially 2020 look to be promising and although there are many factors that can influence developments in an undesirable direction, we remain cautiously optimistic. Whichever way you look at it, there is no doubt that these will be some exciting years to come!

Erik Hånell, CEO, Stena Bulk

* 10,000-25,000 dwt, ** Since 2012, Golden-Agri Stena has been a joint venture between Stena Bulk and Golden Agri-Resources.

Stena Bulk has decided to install turnkey scrubbers on 16 of their own ships belonging to Suezmax and IMOIIMAX fleets and has signed a contract for the installation of Chinese Shanghai Blue Soul Environment Technology. The scrubber to be installed is called an Open Loop Hybrid, and it’s equipped with water treatment, which not only removes sulphur but also particles from the exhaust gas.

“By installing scrubbers, we will be well equipped to meet the 2020 regulations and we don’t risk being impacted by price volatility and fuel shortages, which may arise with the use of low-sulphur fuels. The cost to install scrubbers is 3-4 million/vessel and also includes the 20-30 days that the ship is taken out of service for installation. The repayment period is also attractive relative to the market in theory and also appears to be so in practice although there are some parameters that remain uncertain. However, we have found that there are opportunities to lock in some of the uncertainty, which has attracted a more secure investment”, comments Erik Hånell, CEO of Stena Bulk.