BLOG - Five ways North Star is sustainable

The road to net zero is continuing at pace as more and more maritime companies the world over, rollout their decarbonisation strategies designed to ensure they remain on track to meet the industry’s shared drive for low emissions, as well as their own.  

Sustainability is at the heart of North Star’s culture and activities. We want to ensure we are supporting the planet, our clients and our workforce to meet today’s needs and tomorrow’s. We have already begun by reducing CO₂ from our existing operations and are actively building new greener fleets futureproofed to utilise fuels of the future.

So how does this work in real life? In the list below, we share how we collaborate with our technology partners and external stakeholders to create real change, while safeguarding the future of the sector and continuing to deliver for our clients.

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1.    An Innovative Fleet

In our goal to reach net zero by 2040, we are aiming to add 40 of our expertly designed service operations vessels (SOVs) to our diverse and robust fleet.

North Star is already in the process of delivering its first four of its pioneering hybrid-powered ships from this summer. Supporting O&M activities for the offshore wind market, management of the vessel’s hybrid propulsion results in peak shaving and reserve to run with less engine requirements.

Our unique design also sports a waste heat recovery system and is configured for offshore in-field battery charging with additional potential to upgrade battery capacity. Further areas for future technology enhancements are also incorporated, to provide opportunities to retrofit vessels and allowing for hydrogen and methanol fuels to be viable for power supply.

Other technologies include the Voith eVSP, which improves operational performance through active roll stability, and Digital Decision Support, which assess technician transfers and helicopter operability. Digital twin technology is also used to replicate a vessel’s trajectory during an operation to predict optimal performance.

These features ensure operations are completed in the quickest and safest way possible whilst increasing sea state operability at wave heights of up to 1.7m Hs – 33% higher than anything else currently available. This means that operations are more efficient, resulting in lower emissions and an overall smaller carbon footprint as the industry shifts further towards a net zero mindset.

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2.   Our Sustainability Council and Reporting

One of our fundamental objectives as a business is to become as sustainable as possible and a driving force of environmentally friendly practices, through the aims setout in our sustainability statement. These aims are directed by our sustainability council, a group of 20 employees from across different disciplines at our offices in Newcastle, Aberdeen and Lowestoft.

After its creation, the sustainability council liaised with independent design and engineering consultants, Houlder Ltd, to provide a sustainability study. This has helped us to develop our roadmap for enhanced operational performance in order to achieve our 2040 net zero target.

The study focused on many different areas, from reviewing greenhouse gas emission to assessing the possibility of retrofitting and modifying our existing fleet to ensure our tonnage is ready to meet the demands of the energy sector.

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3.    Voluntary ESG Projects

We are also proud to drive and take part in green initiatives that directly support the off-setting of carbon emissions across our local communities. Most recently, our sustainability council completed a project alongside Aberdeen’s Seaton Primary School to help plant 2,500 trees, creating a 2.5-hectare forest next to its premises. That’s the equivalent of two and a half football pitches.

Not only will the woodland absorb almost eight times as much CO₂ produced per year by the average petrol car, but the varieties planted will also attract and support the reintroduction of various endangered animals – including red squirrels.

Projects like this are important to help with the offsetting of carbon emissions, whilst also supporting the local indigenous wildlife.

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In addition, North Star also introduced a spare shipping equipment scheme which repurposes kit that can no longer be used in offshore operations. So far, we have supported several UK colleges, providing opportunities for students to get to grips with real life technologies, helping to train and support the next generation and ensuring the lifespan of equipment is optimised. We have also donated personal protective equipment (PPE) deck suits to the Scottish White Fish Producers Association (SWFPA), an organisation which supports sustainable fishing practices.

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4.    Internal Sustainability Vision and Practices

At North Star, our sustainability vision is “doing the right thing for everyone.” In our daily practices this is put into action across our crew and onshore staff members by reducing waste across all our onshore and offshore operations. At the heart of this is our commitment to the following practices:

·      Recycling

·      Food Waste Reduction

·      Going Digital

Each of these activities encourage sustainable behaviour across our teams, regardless of whether they are based. By making sure these practices a part of the day-to-day running of the business, North Star team members can help to bring down our carbon footprint. This has been supported in the technology innovations that assist our everyday communications, helping us to reduce our printing and our paper trail.

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5.    UK-Based and Globally Focused

As a UK-based company, we use the services of the UK supply chain and resources whenever we can. As a result, North Star invests tens of millions of pounds into the UK economy every year.

Of these investments, £1 million is spent annually on North Star’s industry-leading cadet training programme, a salaried opportunity for young people to break into the industry, or for more established workers to retrain and apply their skills into the maritime sector.

Gearing up to meet the net zero challenges of the future, we also plan to reach recruitment and job creation goals to support our ambitious offshore wind growth plan for 2040. This spans the breadth of the business, with plans in place to bolster renewables-focused roles across the senior leadership team and our expert crews working in UK waters and beyond.

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With the energy transition well underway, our sustainability and digitisation plans are core to what differentiates us and our fleet.

You can find our sustainability statement and more information about our plans for greener ERRVs and net-zero SOVs here: https://www.northstarshipping.co.uk/sustainability

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