Svitzer Strengthens Organisation Ahead of Intended Listing
Copenhagen, 4 March 2024 - Svitzer strengthens its financial organisation in preparation for the intended demerger and subsequent listing on Nasdaq Copenhagen, following A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S’ (APMM) decision to initiate the separation of Svitzer.
Christian Lintner has been appointed as Head of Treasury, effective 1 May 2024. He currently serves as the Head of International Treasury at Nets and has previously held a similar position at Torm.
Furthermore, Svitzer has appointed Michael Nass Nielsen as Head of Investor Relations and Financial Planning & Analysis, commencing 1 June 2024. He currently holds the position of Head of Investor Relations at NKT and has previously worked for GN and SEB.
Knud Winkler, CFO of Svitzer, stated, "We are pleased to welcome Christian and Michael to Svitzer. I am convinced that their experience and drive will further strengthen our value creation and future dialogue with investors and financial analysts as we continue to deliver on our strategy."
Svitzer has been part of APMM for almost 45 years. On 8 February 2024, APMM announced its decision to initiate a separation of Svitzer through a demerger, subject to approval at an APMM extraordinary general meeting expected to be held on 26 April 2024, with a subsequent listing of the new parent company, Svitzer Group A/S, on Nasdaq Copenhagen and an anticipated first day of trading on 30 April 2024.
Further details on the demerger and separate listing of Svitzer will be made available on www.maersk.com when the statutory demerger documents have been published, expectedly on 22 March 2024.
A prospectus prepared by Svitzer is expected to be made publicly available prior to the extraordinary general meeting of APMM.
Svitzer Takes Delivery Of ‘Svitzer Estelle’ From Uzmar
Successful delivery of new RAstar 3200W series tugboat by Uzmar Shipyards marked by ceremony ahead of vessel’s deployment in the Port of London
London, 19 December 2023 – Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P Moller-Maersk, has announced the successful delivery of Svitzer Estelle, the second tug built as part of the company’s ongoing partnership with Uzmar Shipyards, a world-class tug builder, based in Turkey.
Svitzer Estelle represents another step in Svitzer’s ongoing European fleet modernisation and expansion programme. The newly built, Robert Allan Ltd. designed RAstar 3200W will be deployed by Svitzer on the River Thames and the River Medway, bolstering the company’s operations in the busy Port of London.
The first tug delivered by Uzmar Shipyards in May 2023, Svitzer Elizabeth, is currently in service in the Port of Liverpool. Svitzer’s partnership with Uzmar Shipyards began with the delivery of two tugs for the company’s fleet in Australia. Success over the years has enabled the two businesses to work together to support the safe, efficient, and sustainable delivery of marine towage services.
Svitzer Estelle has a bollard pull of 80 tonnes, and has an L.O.A. of 32 metres, with a beam of 13.2 metres and a depth of 5.5 metres. The RAstar 3200W series tug has a 199m3 fuel capacity and 40m3 freshwater capacity, with Escort Tug and Firefighting1 notation.
The vessel is powered by two Caterpillar 3516E main engines rated at 2525 bkW at 1,800 rpm, with IMO III certified aftertreatment, and has two Kongsberg US255 Z-drives with 2.8m FP propellers.
Speaking on the announcement, Cliff Chow, Svitzer’s London Port Manager, said: “The delivery of the Svitzer Estelle marks a pivotal moment in the continued modernisation of our UK fleet, and will enable us to continue to meet our customers’ demands as well as ensure safe, reliable, and efficient operations. The waters of the Thames and the Medway are dynamic and unique, so we need tugs that can meet and exceed their specific challenges. Just like Svitzer Elizabeth, we are confident that Svitzer Estelle will represent a significant advancement of our capabilities.”
“We’d like to thank the team at Uzmar Shipyards for their ongoing commitment to this partnership and for the completion of another successful project.”
Mr. A. Noyan Altuğ, CEO, Uzmar Shipyards, added: “Today marks not only the delivery of a new tug, but the continuation of our long-term partnership between Uzmar Shipyards and Svitzer. It builds on the success of our delivery of two tugs to Svitzer’s Australian fleet, as well as our ongoing work on Svitzer’s advanced TRAnsverse tug designs. We look forward to continuing our work with Svitzer to make the tugs of the future a reality.”
As Svitzer Estelle is UK-based, the vessel will be able to fall under Svitzer’s EcoTow net-zero carbon harbour towage solution. As part of EcoTow, Svitzer deploys sustainable marine biofuel across its UK fleet to reduce the carbon impact of towage for its customers.
Svitzer Fleet Expands Along Brazilian Coast
Delivery of fourth tug to fleet in Santos, Brazil’s largest port, in 2023 will increase ability for Svitzer to deliver high quality, sustainable marine services at ports on Brazil’s coast.
Rio de Janeiro, 25 September 2023: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has announced the continued expansion of its fleet in Brazil, as part of the ongoing growth of its operations in the country. Svitzer Monte KT is the fourth tug to join the fleet in the country since April and demonstrates Svitzer’s commitment to strategically strengthening its presence across Brazil’s coast to deliver sustainable marine services.
Svitzer Monte KT is sister to three tugs already delivered to Svitzer in 2023, which have been deployed across the ports of Pécem, Paranagua and Santos on Brazil’s coast. The tug is one of six new Azimuth Stern Drive (ASD) tugs that will be put into operation by Svitzer in Brazil before the end of 2024. As a Ramparts 2300 series tug, Svitzer Monte KT has a top speed of 13 knots and a bollard pull of 70 tonnes. Designed by Robert Allan, the tug was built by the Brazilian Shipyard Rio Maguari.
The new tug joins its sister tug Svitzer Atanásio in Santos, which was delivered earlier in 2023. Svitzer has a total of four tugs in Santos, Brazil’s largest port and Latin America’s busiest container hub.
Arjen Van Dijk, Managing Director Americas, said: “The delivery of the Svitzer Monte KT at Santos shows Svitzer’s commitment to continued growth in Brazil. As we expand our port coverage and increase our ability to deliver sustainable services for customers, we also look forward to further growing our footprint in the country over the next few years. Brazil continues to be one of Svitzer’s main growth markets in the Americas region with two further vessels, equipped with FiFi 1 (firefighting) capabilities to be delivered to Svitzer in Brazil by the second quarter of 2024.”
Commenting on the fleet expansion, Daniel Reedtz Cohen, Managing Director, Svitzer Brazil said: “We have a very clear strategy in the Brazilian market to strengthen our coverage and deliver safe and reliable services to our customers. With the addition of Svitzer Monte KT to our fleet, we continue to strengthen our ability to deliver high-quality support of global and local ship-operators in Brazil’s logistics ecosystem.”
By the end of 2023, Svitzer will be operating 20 tugs, including the four vessels added to the fleet in 2023, from eight ports across Brazil – Salvador, Suape, Pecem, Santos, Vitoria, Rio Grande, Sao Francisco do Sul and Paranagua. As a leading global towage provider, Svitzer combines its wide reach and experience with in-depth regional and local knowledge to benefit its customers in Brazil and ensure they receive services of the highest standard.
Svitzer Appoints Mattias Hellstrom As New Global Chief Commercial Officer
Former Svitzer Europe CCO joins company’s global C-suite
Copenhagen, 20 September 2023: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has today announced the appointment of Mattias Hellstrom as its new Global Chief Commercial Officer (CCO), effective from 1 October.
Mattias makes the move to Svitzer’s global business after three years as CCO of Svitzer Europe, and replaces outgoing Global CCO Videlina Georgieva, who was recently appointed Managing Director of Svitzer Australia.
As CCO of Svitzer Europe, Mattias has played a key role in the organisation’s drive to become more customer centric, data driven and focused on quality service delivery.
He will transfer this experience into his new role as Global CCO, and as part of Svitzer’s leadership team continue developing and driving the company’s global commercial strategy.
Prior to his role as CCO of Svitzer Europe, Mattias was Managing Director of Svitzer Scandinavia for nearly seven years. Mattias has also held management roles at Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and A.P. Moller – Maersk. In all, Mattias has more than 25 years of shipping industry experience to draw upon in the role as Global CCO.
Speaking on the appointment, Kasper Nilaus, CEO, Svitzer, said: “I am delighted to be able to appoint a strong internal candidate for the extremely important Global CCO position at Svitzer. With his first-hand experience from Svitzer Europe, Mattias brings a deep knowledge of our business and customers.
“Mattias’ sincere passion for our customers and focus on premium service delivery will be critical to ensuring our ongoing growth and strength in the market. I look very much forward to working more closely with Mattias and seeing him thrive in his new role.”
Mattias Hellstrom, Svitzer’s new Global CCO, added: “I am honoured to take up the position as Svitzer’s Global CCO at such an important time for our business. Building on the foundation laid by my predecessor, I will do my utmost to ensure that we continue to deliver a world-class service. I am excited to be able to work with colleagues from around the world to continue developing our ability to listen deeply to our customers, and use the knowledge gained to meet their current and future marine services needs.” Svitzer has already initiated the process of recruiting a replacement for Mattias Hellstrom in the role as Svitzer Europe CCO.
Svitzer Designing World’s First Methanol Hybrid Fuel Cell Tug
Project with Robert Allan Ltd. enters second phase to design the vessel, which represents a key step in Svitzer’s mission to lead the decarbonisation of towage services worldwide.
COPENHAGEN, 17 AUGUST 2023: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, is today announcing the launch of the second phase of its project to design the world’s first methanol hybrid fuel cell (MHFC) tug.
Svitzer has conducted technical studies to establish the feasibility of this type of vessel accommodating the real-world operational requirements of a tug. Work will now begin between Svitzer and leading naval architect company, Robert Allan Ltd. to design the world’s first methanol hybrid fuel cell (MHFC) tug. The next phase will include work to complete the vessel design, scope considerations for vessel construction, and onboard equipment selection necessary to build the vessel.
The MHFC tug will use an electrical propulsion system with methanol fuel cells and batteries delivering a self-sustained tug with longer endurance and fewer operational constraints than a purely battery-powered vessel. Secondary methanol fuelled generators will provide backup power if required without the need for a secondary fuel. Calculations indicate that the MHFC tug running on green methanol would prevent approximately 1,300 tonnes of CO2 annually from being emitted into the atmosphere, compared to fossil-fuel-based vessels of the same dimensions within Svitzer’s global fleet.
The design of the MHFC tug will be a joint project between Svitzer and Robert Allan Ltd. using Svitzer’s TRAnsverse tug design as the platform. Svitzer will look to forge partnerships with other companies to finalise the selection of onboard equipment, such as the batteries and fuel cell system, and to support construction once the design phase is complete.
Gareth Prowse, Head of Decarbonisation at Svitzer, said: “We’re excited to enter the next phase of delivering the world’s first methanol hybrid fuel cell tug. This project is a major milestone in Svitzer’s commitment to the decarbonisation of our global fleet and demonstrates our ability to harness new technologies and alternative fuels to deliver innovations that will have a significant, positive impact on shipping’s road to net zero.”
“The combination of fuel cell technology and green methanol will result in improved operational efficiencies, resulting in less fuel consumption and lower emissions. We’re delighted to be collaborating with Robert Allan Ltd. to design the MHFC tug and look forward to bringing on new partners to construct the vessel which will operate at the Port of Gothenburg in Sweden.”
Enters operations by 2025 The MHFC is expected to enter operations in the second half of 2025 at the Port of Gothenburg in Sweden, where methanol is the low-carbon alternative fuel of choice.
Göran Eriksson, Port of Gothenburg CEO, said: "The Port of Gothenburg has set ambitious targets to reduce shipping emissions within the port area by 70% by 2030. To deliver on that ambition, the transition of shipping lines from fossil fuels to more sustainable fuels such as green methanol is critically important. Svitzer's decision to design and construct the world's first methanol hybrid fuel cell tug is a major milestone which sets the example for the long-term decarbonisation of global towage services. We're excited to welcome this pioneering new vessel to the Port of Gothenburg when it enters into operation in 2025."
Mathias Jonasson, Managing Director for Scandinavia & Germany at Svitzer, said: “Svitzer has been delivering safe and efficient towage services to customers in the Port of Gothenburg for decades. In addition to its ambitious emission reduction targets, the Port of Gothenburg has already gathered valuable experiences regarding the safe and convenient bunkering of methanol. The port’s experience and position as an emerging methanol bunker hub, combined with our long-standing collaboration and relationship, makes the Port of Gothenburg an obvious location for us to deploy the world’s first methanol hybrid fuel cell tug.”
Jim Hyslop Director, Project Development Principle at Robert Allan Ltd., said: “Robert Allan Ltd. is excited to be working with Svitzer to develop the world’s first Methanol Hybrid Fuel Cell Tug. Based on the award-winning TRAnsverse design, the innovative propulsion system on this new tug will enable operation completely free of fossil fuels. This is a major step forward in the path to decarbonising the tug industry, and we are extremely proud to be at the forefront of developments in these new technologies.”
Svitzer Renews Contract with APM Terminals Bahrain for Two Line Boats
COPENHAGEN, 14 July 2023: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has renewed its contract with APM Terminals Bahrain for the operation of two line boats that service vessels calling into Bahrain. The new contract runs until December 2027.
The two line boats serve coastal tankers and small vessels, including tugs and barges, providing connectivity and ensuring regional businesses continue to thrive.
"The contract renewal signifies great cooperation between our companies and reinforces the strong relationship we have cultivated over the years. By continuing to join forces, we demonstrate our commitment to delivering excellent services and maintaining the highest standards of safety, efficiency and reliability," says Mohamed Taher Aguir, Managing Director – Bahrain & Liberia.
Svitzer is a leading towage provider in the AMEA (Africa, Middle East & Asia) region operating in 17 ports across 12 countries. Svitzer Bahrain operates in all commercial and industrial terminals in Bahrain with towage, line handling and personnel transfer.
Svitzer Awarded Alexandroupolis LNG Terminal Contract With Gastrade
Project will draw on Svitzer’s extensive expertise in both terminal towage and servicing the global LNG market, assisting Gastrade in enhancing energy security for Greece and the region of South-Eastern Europe
Copenhagen, 13 July 2023: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has signed a 15-year agreement to service Gastrade’s Alexandroupolis Independent Natural Gas System (Alexandroupolis INGS) LNG terminal, the first offshore LNG project in Greece. Svitzer will apply its global terminal towage expertise and experience to rapidly set up towage services and support for advanced LNG operations at the new import terminal. This includes supporting a Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) with a pipeline system connecting the floating unit to the Greek National Natural Gas Transmission System and onwards to final consumers in Greece and the Balkans.
Svitzer will provide four new ASD tugboats, fully manned by Greek crew, to assist the FSRU and the carriers delivering LNG. Svitzer tugboats will provide berthing, un-berthing, navigation assistance, and other terminal services including firefighting, pollution control, pilot and boarding party transfer. Svitzer will also provide support and station keeping services to the FSRU during initial installation.
The project marks Svitzer’s first entry into the Greek market and will see the company apply its knowledge and skills in the local environment. The deal will result in the creation of both onshore and offshore job opportunities based at the terminal in Alexandroupolis. While the Alexandroupolis LNG terminal is set to become operational in the beginning of 2024, Svitzer has already initiated the recruitment process to ensure staff undergo robust training in line with Svitzer’s operational and safety standards ahead of operations commencing. Training will include the use of advanced tug simulators replicating the actual environment around the Alexandroupolis LNG terminal.
Svitzer has more than 25 years of experience as a leading towage provider for customers in the global LNG market, with the Alexandroupolis INGS project further demonstrating Svitzer’s stronghold as expert service provider to the energy industry.
Commenting on the agreement, Lise Demant, Managing Director, Svitzer Europe, said: “We are delighted that Gastrade has chosen us as its trusted partner to deliver towage services for the Alexandroupolis INGS LNG terminal. The long-term agreement will allow Svitzer to grow within its core business, expand geographically and deliver safe and efficient marine services to a new customer. This includes providing a truly customised solution for Gastrade, with the delivery of four brand new tugs. We look forward to being part of the first offshore LNG project in Greece and to welcome new Greek colleagues to Svitzer, who will help deliver reliable and high-quality towage service to Gastrade and its customers.”
Konstantinos Sifnaios, Managing Director at Gastrade, added: “High-quality towage and marine services will be critical to the success of the Alexandroupolis LNG Terminal project. We are convinced that Svitzer is the right partner to deliver this, thanks to its extensive track record in terminal towage, its agile fleet management, and solid experience from servicing many other LNG customers globally. We look forward to working together with Svitzer to build jobs in the local market and ensure energy security for the region and beyond.”
Svitzer and South Hook enter EcoTow agreement to reduce tug fleet emissions
Long-term contract agreed to fuel vessels with low-carbon hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), cutting CO2 emissions
LONDON, 6 JULY 2023: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has today announced an EcoTow agreement to fuel a fleet of five tugs dedicated to the South Hook LNG Terminal in Milford Haven, with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), a low-carbon fuel. The switch from fuelling tugs with marine gas oil (MGO) to HVO will reduce CO2 emissions, whilst maintaining a safe and reliable service for South Hook LNG and its customers.
The long-term deal, which requires no modifications to equipment or engines, will see a significant reduction in CO2 emissions from the five tugs servicing the LNG discharging at South Hook.
South Hook LNG Terminal is the first terminal at the Port of Milford Haven to switch its towage contract to low-carbon fuels, taking advantage of Svitzer's EcoTow solution.
Commenting on the long-term agreement with South Hook, Mattias Hellstrom, European Chief Commercial Officer, Svitzer Europe, said: "We are committed to providing sustainable marine services, and delighted to be working with a partner like South Hook LNG Terminal to deliver a more sustainable fleet of towage vessels in Milford Haven. We look forward to continuing working with South Hook to operate vessels that benefit the local port environment through reduced particulate emissions. Running these vessels on HVO also means Svitzer is able to continue cutting carbon emissions across its UK operations."
In 2022, the switch from MGO to HVO in Svitzer's UK fleet prevented more than 21,000 tonnes of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere. With the HVO conversion of the fleet dedicated to the service of South Hook LNG, there are only a few tugs left to be converted to complete the conversion of Svitzer's entire UK fleet to low-carbon fuels.
Svitzer wins Innovation of the Year Award
At the 2023 International Tug & Salvage Awards, which took place at the biennial TUGTECHNOLOGY conference held in Rotterdam this year, Svitzer was awarded Innovation of the Year in recognition of the TRAnsverse Tug.
Kasper Karlsen, Chief Operating Officer, accepts the Innovation of the Year Award.
The Innovation of the Year award recognises outstanding and innovative designs, projects, or vessel operations that have set new benchmarks in the tug industry over the last 12 months.
Svitzer worked with Robert Allan Ltd to design the next-generation multipurpose tug with leading manoeuvring and escort capabilities supporting all types of harbour and terminal towage operations, while reducing fuel consumption. It has an omnidirectional hull form and propulsion system enabling safe, swift and seamless transition between direct and indirect towing modes.
Congratulations to all of the winners at the 2023 Intl. Tug & Salvage Awards!
New TRAnsverse Tugs for Svitzer Australia
Contract signed with Uzmar to deliver new, state-of-the-art, TRAnsverse tugs with superior operating capability and fuel efficiency, following design collaboration between Robert Allan and Svitzer.
Copenhagen/Sydney, 15 May 2023: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has today announced it has awarded a contract to Uzmar Shipyard to build two new TRAnsverse tugs for its Australian business.
The TRAnsverse tugs are a revolutionary tug design, created in collaboration with Robert Allan Ltd, which set a new standard in tug efficiency, power and manoeuvrability, and deliver an estimated 10-15% reduction in fuel use compared to other tugs on the market. The new tugs will be built to a specification that also enables biofuel operations bringing tank-to-wake carbon emissions to zero.
The TRAnsverse tug’s omnidirectional hull form, in combination with its unique towing staple and propulsion system, provides towage capabilities that are unmatched by other tug designs. Its design enables it to maximise the forces necessary for braking and steerage during towage, as it manoeuvres steadily in the water, and consequently without compromising safety, even at full speed range. It maintains position with lower propeller input power than tug designs where the thrusters are mounted side by side, and overall brings a significant increase in stability and freedom of movement.
As a result of these features, the TRAnsverse tug meets the full range of complex harbour and terminal towage environments, providing benefits such as the ability to reduce overall time of tug jobs, greater availability in poor weather conditions, reduced emissions and enhanced safety.
The two new tugs will be deployed to Svitzer Australia’s Port of Newcastle (NSW) operations in 2025 becoming the first TRAnsverse tugs to be deployed to Australia, and only the second and third to be deployed globally. The Port of Newcastle is a busy, diverse port operation with a complex harbour, tidal restrictions and channel environment requiring active escort towage, and direct and indirect towage capabilities. Newcastle sees a range of vessels calling from capsize vessels carrying coal, to bulk, container and cruise ships. The complexity of Newcastle’s towage operations and range of vessels that call on the port will showcase the full range of the TRAnsverse tug’s capabilities.
Svitzer CEO Kasper Friis Nilaus commented: “We have been listening closely to our customers and their need for innovative towage solutions. The TRAnsverse tug offers significant improvements in operational efficiency, flexibility and sustainability by improving shipping turnaround times and reducing carbon emissions, helping customers to manage the demands of the modern towage market and the complex, busy port environments of today and the future.”
“The scale of Svitzer’s operations, collaboration with customers and deep understanding of port operations globally enables us to design and invest in the best possible towage solutions. We are committed to building new tugs that meet the highest of efficiency standards and that support our customers and port operations in reducing their scope 3 emissions and total carbon footprint, whilst not compromising – and indeed improving - on safety and operational performance.”
Svitzer selected as towage provider at Fawley Refinery
Operated by ExxonMobil, the Fawley Refinery will strengthen Svitzer’s presence in the UK market
Copenhagen, 26 April 2023: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has today announced that it has secured a 7-year contract with ExxonMobil to provide towage services at Fawley Refinery. This contract reinforces Svitzer’s position in the UK and will increase synergies with the port of Southampton.
The contract was awarded after an open-tender process, in which Svitzer demonstrated its ability to utilise assets across Fawley and Southampton to provide a more efficient solution for ExxonMobil. Svitzer already owns the three tugs operating at Fawley Refinery and the intention is to continue operating them with existing personnel, with the crews being offered to continue in their current roles, but as Svitzer employees.
The contract includes the provision of line handling as well as operation of three launch boats and two mooring pontoons. Two shore-based staff will spend the majority of their time servicing the Fawley operation, ensuring that ExxonMobil has a face-to-face contact readily available, and that crew have a support network for ensuring compliance, maintenance, storing and day-to-day operations run smoothly.
The Fawley deal furthers Svitzer’s long-standing position as a leading towage provider in the UK, including a harbour towage operation in nearby Southampton, which has been servicing a wide range of customers for more than 15 years. In addition to the tugs operating at Fawley, Svitzer currently operates five tugs in nearby Southampton.
Commenting on the announcement, Lise Demant, Managing Director, Svitzer Europe, said “We are very proud to have been selected as the provider for towage services at the Fawley Refinery, and excited to provide our high-quality towage services to ExxonMobil. This contract is a great win for all of us at Svitzer. It enables us to grow our position in the UK, while driving synergies with our existing harbour towage operations at the port of Southampton, and welcoming new, skilled colleagues into the Svitzer family.”
Svitzer and Caterpillar Sign MOU to Implement Methanol Dual Fuel Solutions to Power Svitzer Newbuilds and Convert Existing Tugs
Svitzer and Caterpillar Marine Sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to Support Svitzer’s Decarbonization Strategy by Addressing Methanol As a Fuel in Newbuilds and Conversion of Existing Tugs.
Svitzer, a leading global marine operations and towage operator, have together with Caterpillar Marine signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to adopt solutions that enable Svitzer to utilize methanol in their fleet. The implementation of dual-fuel methanol engines focuses on new tugs as well as conversions of existing Cat® powered tugs, which comprise the majority of Svitzer’s fleet. With a relationship spanning numerous decades, this agreement marks the next evolution of their journey to, amongst other initiatives such as the adoption of biofuels in EcoTow, enable the fulfilment of Svitzer’s decarbonization strategy.
Following the recent Cat 3500-E series methanol-readiness announcement in September 2022, this MOU formalizes the collaboration to deploy engine technologies that enable Svitzer to utilize methanol, which can be produced from renewable energy sources to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. “Svitzer has a significant fleet of vessels powered by Cat systems, as well as ambitious decarbonization targets for our future fleet. It is therefore of utmost importance that we join forces with strategic collaborators, such as Caterpillar Marine, to find solutions for both existing and future vessels.” said Kasper Karlsen, global chief operating officer of Svitzer. With a focused strategy on sustainability, Svitzer is making pragmatic decisions to support reductions in carbon intensity in the maritime industry, aiming to achieve a 50% reduction in the CO2 intensity of its entire fleet by 2030 and become CO2 neutral across all scopes by 2040.
“Many companies within the industry are exploring methods and solutions that can be incorporated today while also determining viable options for the future. The collaboration between Caterpillar and Svitzer is an important step towards implementing the solutions that support their decarbonization strategy,” said Brad Johnson, Caterpillar Marine vice president and general manager of marine.
“Given the size and complexity of our fleet and the ambitious target we have set of becoming carbon neutral in 2040, it is critical to take a holistic approach to reducing our CO2 emissions. While we seek to mature and utilize new technologies, fuel types and operational approaches for new vessels, we also have to find solutions that help reduce the emissions from our existing fleet. The support Caterpillar provides in finding ways of converting our equipment to methanol usage plays a key role in this” says Gareth Prowse, head of decarbonization for Svitzer.
“The focus of our collaboration is two-fold. We are supporting Svitzer to enable tugs to operate on methanol with diesel-like performance while providing fuel flexibility which is key to enabling operators to lower their carbon intensity via green methanol as availability increases. Additionally, we’re taking full advantage of the learnings to provide conversion solutions for the existing fleet. This is a critical aspect to reach the level of methanol adoption that Svitzer seeks to fulfill their goals” said Andres Perez, global tug segment manager, Caterpillar Marine.
Svitzer solidifies Brazilian market presence with entry into Port of Salvador
Rio de Janeiro, 27 February 2023: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has today announced that it has expanded its presence in Brazil to provide operations and services at the Port of Salvador, including Aratu Port Complexes. The new port location adds to Svitzer’s reach and ability to deliver high-quality towage services to its customers in the region.
Svitzer will deploy two modern and high-powered tugs, the Svitzer Jamil Darian and Svitzer Zoe, in the Port of Salvador to attend to its diverse portfolio of customers in the region. Svitzer’s two modern tugs will bring new possibilities for more complex manoeuvres and assistance of different ship sizes at the Port of Salvador.
To service the port, Svitzer has hired a total of 12 crew members, creating jobs for those living in the local region. The crews have undergone substantial training in line with Svitzer’s international standards and will operate with an uncompromising focus on safety.
Commenting on starting operations in Salvador, Daniel Reedtz Cohen, Managing Director of Svitzer Brazil, said: “I am very pleased to announce our expansion into the Port of Salvador and Aratu Port Complexes, which marks another important milestone in our Brazil growth strategy. Brazil continues to grow in its role as a key player in the global trade ecosystem, with resulting increased port activity. Svitzer is dedicated to its role in the supply chain and to servicing customers in the region. With this latest entry into Salvador, we strengthen our coverage on the Brazilian coast and presence in the country.”
As part of its general expansion in Brazil and to support continued organic growth, Svitzer has announced a new build programme consisting of six new tugs, the first of which was delivered and put into operation in the Port of Pecem earlier this month. With the new build programme, Svitzer aims to continue to expand its coverage on the Brazilian coast in the years to come.
Svitzer has been operating in Brazil since 2015 and now has a presence across eight ports in the country. As a leading global towage provider, Svitzer brings high safety standards as well as global reach, experience and financial resilience to the table along with in-depth regional and local knowledge. This is all to the benefit of Svitzer’s customers, many of whom are multinational and appreciate a homogenous towage service of the highest quality, regardless of port or country.
Newly created Green Ports role will leverage Svitzer’s scale, data and expertise in marine services to drive new value for port customers.
Copenhagen/Sydney, 9th February 2023: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has today announced Svitzer Australia Chief Commercial Officer Ivan Spanjic has been appointed as Global Head of Green Ports.
Svitzer CEO Kasper Nilaus believes Spanjic’s role will be central to helping Svitzer’s customers better adjust their assets and operations to become more sustainable.
“Ports and partners across the marine supply chain have long recognised the importance of growing sustainably and responsibly, contributing positively to the communities in which they operate,” said Nilaus. “Svitzer welcomes the opportunity to work collaboratively with these stakeholders and share our experience and insights developed from serving port operations around the world.”
Spanjic starts the role effective immediately and will balance his responsibilities as Australia’s Chief Commercial Officer and Global Head of Green Ports. He will report to Svitzer’s Chief Commercial Officer, Videlina Dimitrova Georgieva.
Kasper Nilaus added: “It is a privilege to be appointing internally for such a critical new role – demonstrating the depth of capability we have across Svitzer. Ivan brings to the role his immense passion for customers, sustainability and innovation, as well as his proven track record as Chief Commercial Officer for Svitzer Australia over the last five years. Ivan is recognised for his partnership approach and strong relationships throughout the maritime sector, and I am delighted to have him in this new role.”
Commenting on his appointment, Ivan Spanjic said:
“I’m incredibly excited to get started as the Global Head of Green Ports. This role is particularly exciting, as the decarbonisation challenge is a highly important, but complex and demanding task. I firmly believe this global issue is best tackled through a partnership approach rather than each member of the supply chain ‘doing it alone’. My key objective in the new role is to create long-term, sustainable value together with our partners and work together with them to drive decarbonisation in the sector.”
As part of the transition and to support Svitzer’s ongoing focus on delivering for customers, Mrs Shafaq Rahman has been promoted to Deputy Chief Commercial Officer, Svitzer Australia.
Global towage operator, Svitzer, has achieved gold status in the Port of London Authority (PLA)’s Thames Green Scheme, in recognition of its environmental commitments and decarbonisation strategy.
Svitzer introduced carbon neutral biofuel across its Thames-based fleet in 2022, offering customers a new, cleaner towage service called Ecotow. The Ecotow product exclusively uses sustainable second-generation biofuels, produced using waste material such as used cooking oil as feedstocks and are certified by ISSC or RSB. Relative to marine diesel, these biofuels reduce carbon emissions by 100% on a tank-to-wake basis and about 90% on a well-to-wake basis. Use of the fuel was successfully trialled on the Thames, home to the UK’s largest port, in 2021.
Thames Green Scheme, launched in 2020, recognises early adopters of new technologies and fuels to create a cleaner and healthier environment for people and wildlife. Svitzer progressed from silver status in the scheme to gold, following the adoption of marine biofuel and use of shore power for six vessels based at the PLA’s operations site Denton in Gravesend.
Alistair Gale, PLA’s director of corporate affairs and strategy, said:
“It is great to see a global organisation like Svitzer leading the way in adopting new technologies, improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions. This is good news for the tidal Thames, home to the UK’s leading port, where we are driving together towards a Net Zero future.”
Thames Vision 2050, launched last September, sets out the goal for the Port of London to remain the UK’s leading port, central to the nation’s economy, with Net Zero emissions. The PLA is targeting Net Zero in its own operations by 2040, or earlier.
Also committed to becoming fully carbon neutral by 2040, Svitzer has been making impressive progress in the last two years, announcing the design of the world’s first fuel cell tug for harbour operations, running on green methanol, in cooperation with Maersk, and the build of the next generation multipurpose tug, TRAnsverse Tug, which will be lighter in design, consume less fuel and be ground-breaking in its use of future carbon neutral fuels
Cliff Chow, port manager for Svitzer in London, said:
“It is a great honour for Svitzer to be awarded the Thames Green Scheme Gold accreditation. Environmental responsibility is deeply integrated in our strategy, and we invest significantly in finding the right paths to meeting our ambitious decarbonisation targets. This gold status is a nice testament to the strides we are making.”
The PLA’s Thames Green scheme is a voluntary, free-of-charge scheme for all inland commercial and services vessel operators to join and demonstrate their environmental performance.
Svitzer Australia announces new senior appointments
New General Manager – East and Deputy Chief Commercial Officer appointed as Svitzer grows its value offerings for Australian customers.
Sydney, 01 February 2023:
Svitzer Australia has today announced two new internal senior appointments. Dylan Sheehan has been appointed the new General Manager – East and Shafaq Rahman has been promoted to Deputy Chief Commercial Officer (Australia).
As General Manager – East, Mr Sheehan is responsible for Svitzer’s towage and marine services operations at 14 ports along Australia’s east coast in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
Mr Sheehan brings a wealth of experience to the role and has worked at Svitzer in regions worldwide, commencing with Svitzer as a Commercial Manager in Canada in 2013 and was most recently Regional Manager – North West (Australia).
“From my time in Svitzer, I have witnessed first-hand the expertise and capability of our crews and shore-team to deliver a best-in-class service offering. I am eager to work collaboratively with our customers to achieve their safety, efficiency and sustainability goals.” Mr Sheehan said.
“At Svitzer we pride ourselves on being a trusted towage and marine solutions partner. With our growing digital and decarbonisation offering, it is a very exciting time to be stepping into the role.”
Mrs Rahman has been appointed Deputy Chief Commercial Officer, recognising her outstanding performance in driving business growth and her deep understanding of customer needs.
With Svitzer for nearly three years, Mrs Rahman leads business development and strategic projects, and steps into a wider commercial mandate as D/CCO. She brings more than 20 years of experience, including extensive background in the oil and gas industry.
“Svitzer is unique in that we offer global scale and expertise but also deep local knowledge and experience right across Australian ports, communities and industry sectors,” Mrs Rahman said.
“I’m looking forward to working closely with our customers to develop solutions that grow and enhance their business – particularly the opportunity to partner with ports and the wider shipping industry to achieve their decarbonisation ambitions.”
Svitzer Australia Managing Director, Nicolaj Noes, said it was fantastic to be able to appoint internally for the senior roles, demonstrating the depth of internal talent at the company.
“Dylan and Shafaq will play important roles in helping us drive further value for our customers and I’m delighted that we have been able to appoint two experienced, passionate people from within.”
Mr Sheehan will report to Mr Noes and replaces Deniz Kirdar True, who was recently appointed Managing Director of Svitzer’s Africa, Middle East and Asia (AMEA) region.
Mrs Rahman continues to report to Ivan Spanjic, Chief Commercial Officer – Australia.
For further information, please contact:
Bas Bolyn Svitzer Australia T: + 61 447 486 195 E: [email protected]
SVITZER AUSTRALIA ADVISES LOCKOUT OF HARBOUR TOWAGE CREWS
Australia, 14 November 2022: Today, Svitzer Australia announced that it has given notice of a lockout to all harbour towage employees covered under its 2016 National Towage Enterprise Agreement and their union bargaining representatives, the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA), The Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers (AIMPE) and the Australian Maritime Officers Union (AMOU).
The lockout will take place from 12pm AEDT, Friday 18 November, and will continue indefinitely.
This step is being taken by Svitzer under the provisions of the Fair Work Act in response to damaging and ongoing industrial action being organised by the unions.
This is harming Svitzer’s ability to reliably, safely and efficiently serve our shipping customers and port operations around the country and is causing serious disruption to the national supply chain which is reliant on shipping.
PROTECTED INDUSTRIAL ACTION
There have been more than 1100 instances of industrial action notified by the maritime unions since October 2020. Since 26 October 2022, there have been more than 250 instances of protected industrial action alone, amounting to nearly 2000 hours of work stoppages. There is new protected action being notified by the unions on an almost daily basis.
With each instance of industrial action valuable imports and exports are delayed, disrupted, or goods and produce lost.
Svitzer has had to respond to the protected industrial action as a matter of necessity with one of the few avenues available to employers faced with such action.
When the lockout becomes effective, no shipping vessels will be towed in or out of 17 Australian ports otherwise serviced by Svitzer.
This will impact shipping operations at major metropolitan and regional Australian ports nationwide in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. It does not affect Svitzer terminal operations supporting the oil and gas sector or operations in other states and territories.
EXTENSIVE BARGAINING
Svitzer has been bargaining with the maritime unions for over three years, since the agreement expired in 2019.
Despite Svitzer’s best efforts to reach a reasonable agreement, the parties remain apart on key threshold issues. There has been exhaustive bargaining in 75 meetings, including 2 conciliation sessions with the Fair Work Commission and one independent mediation process with a former Deputy President of the FWC recommended by the unions.
Svitzer is seeking to remove restrictive work practices from its enterprise agreement which are critical to the future sustainability and competitiveness of its Australian business.
QUOTES ATTRIBUTABLE TO NICOLAJ NOES, MANAGING DIRECTOR, SVITZER AUSTRALIA:
“Our goal all along has been to reach a new enterprise agreement and we have exhaustively negotiated in good faith to try to do this.
“We had hoped it would never come to a lockout – but we are at a point where we see no other option but to respond to the damaging industrial action underway by the unions.
“Svitzer has an obligation to serve its customers safely, reliably and efficiently and to ensure imports and exports, and our nation’s trade and supply chains run without disruption. The inability to reach a new enterprise agreement and the high number of protected industrial actions prevent us from doing so.
“We particularly feel for our many hard-working crews and employees who are caught in the middle of this dispute.
“Svitzer has lost more than 130 jobs and work at 3 ports in less than a 12-month period. (nb. December 2020 – September 2021)
“We remain a committed employer that provides well-paying, highly regarded, Australian maritime jobs. We are only seeking to make common-sense changes that are necessary for Svitzer to operate and compete effectively and, in-turn, protect jobs.
“We sincerely regret the difficulties and disruption this lockout presents to our customers and other stakeholders within the supply chain, including ultimately, every Australian consumer.”
For further information, please contact:
Bas Bolyn Svitzer Australia T: + 61 447 486 195 E: [email protected]
Svitzer Announces New Global COO and MD of AMEA Appointments
Kasper Karlsen brings regional COO experience to global role and Deniz Kirdar True moves from General Manager East Coast at Svitzer Australia to Managing Director of Svitzer AMEA
Copenhagen, 27 October 2022: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, is today announcing two senior leadership appointments, with Kasper Karlsen becoming Global Chief Operating Officer and Deniz Kirdar True assuming the role of Managing Director in the AMEA region.
Kasper has been with Svitzer since 2020, holding the role of regional COO in Europe and standing in as UK Managing Director following the merger of the UK North and South clusters in June 2022. Kasper has held different leadership positions in the A.P. Moller-Maersk group over the last 15 years and has during his time with Svitzer demonstrated the technical and commercial leadership skills that are needed in his new role as global COO from 1st December 2022. Kasper will help spearhead Svitzer’s ambitions as a strong industry leader within decarbonisation while driving operational agility and continuing to deliver the great service Svitzer’s customers are accustomed to.
Deniz joined Svitzer in 2014 as COO in the Europe region and held the role of Head of Operational Excellence before moving to the Australia region as General Manager for the East Coast in 2020. She has worked in shipping for almost 20 years and has broad managerial experience and a notable performance track record across a number of different regions, sector areas and functions. Deniz will bring her collaborative and thoughtful leadership style to the AMEA region as its new Managing Director, where she will lead the region’s growth strategy.
Commenting on his new role, Kasper Karlsen, Global COO at Svitzer said: “I’m excited to have an opportunity to step up from regional to global COO. The European region has recently been deeply involved in strategic projects that will also affect other markets in the coming years. I look forward to applying this experience to my new role. Helping to shape the future of Svitzer’s global operations with the aim of delivering excellent service while further progressing our environmental responsibility will be an exciting challenge.”
Reflecting on her new position, Deniz Kirdar True, MD AMEA at Svitzer said: “It will be an honour to lead the AMEA region and I look forward to working with the team to continue providing safe and sustainable marine services and meet the evolving needs of our customers. I am excited to create opportunities for our employees to learn, grow and thrive, play a part in value creation for our customers and the communities we serve, and contribute to achieving Svitzer’s growth ambitions in the region.”
Sharing his thoughts on the two new appointments, Kasper Nilaus, CEO at Svitzer said: “I am delighted to welcome Deniz and Kasper to their new roles as part of the global leadership team. It is an exciting time for Svitzer, as we strive to continue meeting our customers’ changing demands, deliver an excellent service while also ensuring safe, reliable and efficient operations. Both Kasper and Deniz will be central to these aims, bringing their established knowledge of Svitzer and their excellent leadership skills and strong people focus to their new roles.”
Alice Fairless BLUE Communications T: 07585 973028 E: [email protected]
Svitzer Americas expands its fleet with three newbuilds
With the acquisition of two new tugboats and one workboat, Svitzer Americas is further modernising and expanding its fleet in the Americas region.
COPENHAGN, 24 OCTOBER 2022 – Svitzer, leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has announced that it will take delivery of two new ASD tugboats and one workboat and thereby further modernising and expanding the fleet in the Americas region.
Based in Panama, Svitzer Americas is heavily engaged in the region with harbour towage and terminal towage as the main market segments. With the three newbuilds, the fleet will reach 82 vessels operating in ports and terminals across 12 different countries in the Americas.
Commenting on the three newbuilds, Arjen van Dijk, Managing Director Svitzer Americas said:
“I look forward to welcoming Svitzer Abaco, Svitzer Isabela and Svitzer Moín to the Svitzer Americas fleet. They are all vital to our fleet renewal and expansion strategy, which will enable us to continue to meet our customers’ demands as well as ensure safe, reliable and efficient operations.
We will continue to expand and renew our fleet in the coming years, and in 2023 we will start taking delivery of the newbuilds that were ordered for our Brazil operations last year.”
The two new tugboats will service Svitzer’s operations in the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, while the new workboat will service Svitzer’s operations in Costa Rica.
The Svitzer Isabela, which will be deployed to the Dominican Republic, is named after the first established Spanish town in the Dominican Republic. She is a 70 tonnes bollard-pull ASD tug from the Ramparts 2400SX series and will be delivered by Turkish shipyard Sanmar.
The Svitzer Abaco, which will be deployed to the Bahamas, is also a 70 tonnes bollard-pull ASD tug but from the Damen 2312 series. She is named after a Bahamian Island and will delivered by the Damen shipyard in Vietnam.
The Svitzer Moín is a survey vessel, which will service Svitzer’s operation in Costa Rica and perform regular surveys of the water depths at the APM Terminal Moín in Costa Rica to determine when dredging is required as the port is slowly silting. The survey vessel is built at Besiktas Shipyard in Turkey.
All three newbuilds are expected to be fully operational by the end of November 2022.
TRAINING LOCAL SEAFARERS FOR THE FUTURE
As the world’s largest towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, Svitzer understands that with size comes a responsibility to contribute to the growth and prosperity of the communities we operate in. We therefore go to great lengths to honour that responsibility by creating jobs and investing in local workforce.
In Svitzer’s AMEA region (Asia, Middle East & Africa), localisation is a key priority and about 60% of the 1,000 seafarers working on board the region’s vessels are local seafarers. However, at Svitzer we do more than just employ local employees, we also offer comprehensive training and upskilling to ensure that our seafarers’ learning and development journey never ends.
A good example of this approach is Liberia, where Svitzer started operating in 2019. From the beginning, localisation was a key priority and high on the agenda, but it soon became clear that without a dedicated effort from Svitzer, it would become difficult to get localisation above the 20%, which was the starting point.
Managing Director for Svitzer’s Gulf Cluster, Mohamed Aguir explains:
"When we started operating in Liberia, we were able to fill all our rating positions with Liberian seafarers, but we knew we needed to do more if wanted to be able to move our ratings into officer positions. In general, Liberian seafarers are very skilled, but training opportunities in the country are scarce.
“We are therefore sponsoring a program, where we offer comprehensive training and upskilling to select ratings. At the moment, we have one of our Oilers training to become Chief Engineer, while one of our ABs is training to become a Master.”
Bernard Mathias Kombloah, who is part of the training program and is now completing his sea service on board the Svitzer Lofa after having completed his 3rd Engineer degree (below 3000 Kw) explains:
“Back in 2012 when I began my journey of becoming a seaman at the Liberia Maritime Training Institute, it was my dream to go as far as I could. It has been a long and rigorous journey so far, but I'm overjoyed today to see my dreams come true."
Bernard Mathias Kombloah
“One of the best decisions I have ever made is to join Svitzer. Ever since I joined, Svitzer has proven to be an excellent company, supportive in every way and true to their word. I'm grateful to Svitzer for the sponsorship of my trainings, and I look forward to working with Svitzer for many years. Together we will give our best for our clients and continue to ensure that Svitzer remains the best in the towing industry.”
Today, 60% of all crews on board Svitzer’s tugs in Liberia are locals, but the goal is to extend the program in order to achieve 100% localisation and to give Liberian seafarers a clear career progression path in Svitzer.
MICHAEL PATERSON APPOINTED NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SVITZER UK
14.10.2022 – Effective 1 January 2023, Michael Paterson joins as new Managing Director for Svitzer UK, replacing Kasper Karlsen who has acted as interim MD since June.
Michael Paterson joins Svitzer from a role as Operations Director at Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), with a history in maritime gained from 26 years in the Royal Navy. He brings to his role excellent management and leadership skills, Executive Board level experience and a passion for team development. At GTR, Michael set and delivered on a strategic vision to bring two operations teams together into one united and well-functioning team.
Commenting on his new role, Michael says: “I’m delighted to be returning to the maritime sector. Shaping the future of Svitzer as a unified UK cluster team will be a rewarding and demanding challenge. I look forward to working with my new team to continue building a great customer service ethos, drive more efficient UK operations, and continue to strengthen our position as the UK’s leading towage provider. I’m excited to be part of an organisation that is focused on sustainability and decarbonisation.”
Managing Director of Svitzer Europe, Lise Demant, says: “Michael will be a huge asset for Svitzer Europe. He is a proven business leader with a real passion for people as well as the maritime industry. Earlier this year, we identified the need for stronger regional alignment in the UK cluster, and Michael will be integral to unifying UK operations under a single management team. We face a number of significant challenges in the region, Michael’s experience operating in challenging environments with calm focus will be critical to helping Svitzer navigate market complexity while maintaining our high levels of customer satisfaction.”
Michael lives on the UK south coast with his 16-year-old triplets. He will work out of his home when not travelling to one of our UK offices.
Svitzer appoints Sabrina Weymiens as new Head of Transformation
Copenhagen, 11 October 2022: Svitzer, a leading global towage provider and part of A.P. Moller-Maersk, has today announced the appointment of Sabrina Weymiens to the newly created role of Head of Transformation. Sabrina has been appointed to spearhead Svitzer’s transformation journey and keep the company on track as it tackles decarbonisation and delivers superior customer service.
Sabrina has worked at Svitzer since April 2021, when she joined as Head of Commercial Innovation. Prior to joining Svitzer, she worked for Maersk Growth as Innovation Program Manager. Outside the shipping industry Sabrina has experience in strategic innovation roles at, among others, Implement Consulting and Johnson & Johnson. She brings to her new role a wealth of knowledge in change management, and experience in building pro-innovation cultures and ecosystems.
Sabrina will work closely together with the rest of the Global Leadership Team to realise a transformation that focuses on customers, employees and communities. Her role will see Sabrina design and apply principles, methods, approaches and governance to Svitzer’s transformation journey.
Sharing her thoughts on her new role, Sabrina Weymiens, Head of Transformation at Svitzer said: “I’m looking forward to helping unleash the full potential we have here at Svitzer. Through my work as the Head of Commercial Innovation, I’ve helped to initiate Svitzer’s transformation and will continue to drive this forward through the creation and execution of a transformation roadmap. Working together as a united team across the organisation, I believe we can futureproof Svitzer’s business for the challenges of tomorrow.”
Commenting on Sabrina’s appointment, Kasper Nilaus, Chief Executive Officer at Svitzer said: “We are delighted that Sabrina has accepted this new role and will help secure steady progress on our transformation roadmap. The marine services industry is facing significant challenges and the transformation journey will help ensure we remain an attractive workplace and meet our key business and commercial objectives, from decarbonisation to delivering the best possible service to our global customer base.”
Alice Fairless BLUE Communications T: 07585 973028 E: [email protected]
Establishing a female training program in Egypt
With more than 4,000 employees in +30 countries, spanning 80 different nationalities, Svitzer is by nature a truly global company. However, being global doesn’t inherently mean being diverse and inclusive.
At present, only about 50 out of Svitzer’s more than 3,500 seafarers are female and in Svitzer’s AMEA region, no female seafarers were employed at the beginning of 2022. To change that, the AMEA leadership team decided to take special actions to create a more diverse workforce and inclusive workplace – including establishing a new female training program in Egypt.
Nicolai Vinther Friis, Managing Director Svitzer AMEA explains:
“As the world’s leading towage provider and a responsible employer, we have an obligation and a responsibility to promote diversity and inclusion and to support equal opportunities for all. Shipping has historically been a male dominated industry and we therefore need to think differently and take special actions to create a new tradition, where female seafarers are a natural part of our workforce.”
When deciding to improve training opportunities for females by establishing a dedicated training academy, Egypt was chosen as a pilot because of its size and maritime tradition. And it quickly became clear that the demand for training opportunities was high among females. 49 applications were received, 23 were shortlisted for further interviews and 9 female crew members were selected to begin their training on 1 March 2022.
In the video below you can hear some of the key stakeholders of the training program explain the development of the program and its importance.
Setting sail for carbon neutrality in 2040
Climate change is a monumental challenge. It is clear that without action in the near term, the impact of humans on our planet will lead to irreversible shifts to ecosystems, cities, and our way of life.
We all have to do our part to avoid warming the planet and that also includes Svitzer. As the world’s largest towage provider, we recognise that we have an important role to play and a position to influence industry standards.
Towage plays a small yet significant role in the global supply chain. We link the first and last mile of shipping to the remainder of the chain but, paradoxically, are not always bound by shipping regulations. This is particularly true on the environment, where we find ourselves having to create our own momentum for sustainability change.
We recently unveiled Svitzer’s new decarbonisation strategy to become fully carbon neutral by 2040. This is an ambitious goal, far outstripping the current IMO target of a 50% reduction in emissions by 2050. We are dedicated to investing time and capital to embed sustainability throughout our business.
The work has already begun to progress towards the first phase of the strategy, which is to reduce the CO2 intensity of the entire Svitzer fleet by 50% by 2030.
In this paper, we will outline how we intend to reach these goals and dive into some of the tangible progress we have already made. We will talk about the key pillars of our strategy and think about next steps on the road to the future. You will hear more from Gareth Prowse, Svitzer’s Head of Decarbonisation, on the scale of the task and the challenges of decarbonising our fleet and operations.
We fully recognise that this isn’t something that we can do alone. Decarbonising towage – let alone all of shipping – will require new partnerships so we are actively looking for new partners to co-create the road to success. We want to partner not just on the things we know and, in the sector, we occupy, but to draw on learnings from other industries that are experiencing the same transition. We are ready to be challenged and to rapidly innovate as we scale up our quest for sustainable towage and greener ports.
On a personal note, announcing the 2040-goal and taking actions every day that take us closer to achieving the target is very satisfying on a professional level. I am excited to lead all of the team here at Svitzer as we evolve our business around environmental considerations whilst also continuing to deliver the safe and high standard of service that we are known for.
I will state it again: we all have to do our part. I hope that through these pages you will feel the passion that the Svitzer team has for our decarbonisation ambitions, and I hope you share our desire for a sustainable towage industry and greener ports.
