Aker BioMarine has detailed its sustainability goals for the decade. As part of this strategy, the company aims to reduce CO2 per ton of krill, and per ton of krill oil, produced by 50% and reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It plans to achieve this goal by using green ammonia to power its vessels and improving production processes at its Houston plant. Additionally, it plans to reduce the fuel used to locate krill by using drones, which the company says minimise the time spent searching for krill.
The company will also continue to support its sustainability-focused spin out company, Aion, which repurposes product and plastic waste.
“We consider ourselves pioneers at Aker BioMarine, which for us means that we want to lead our industry in a more sustainable direction. As a company, we make no excuses when it comes to meeting our targets. We are forging a new and more planet-friendly path, tackling challenges, embracing technology, and making more sustainable choices than ever done before in our industry,” said Matts Johansen, CEO of Aker BioMarine.
At the end of February 2021, Aker BioMarine and Aker Clean Hydrogen signed an agreement and are teaming up with other partners to industrialise the production of green ammonia. The company’s most recent support vessel, Antarctic Provider, uses a hybrid engine which is convertible for greener fuels of the future.
“Green ammonia is the most promising sustainable fuel for the shipping industry. It is essential that the industry tests and develops solutions for ammonia on a large scale. This will make it possible not only for Aker BioMarine, but also for Norwegian suppliers and renewable companies, to be world-leading on greener solutions for a broad range of sectors,” said Christina Ianssen, Sustainability Manager at Aker BioMarine.
The company's aims for CO2-cuts are connected to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In the last ten years, Aker has cut its CO2 emissions per ton of krill produced by approximately 50%. The company’s goal is to redo this in the next ten years. The company has implemented several initiatives towards its goal, such as implementation of analytical tools to reduce consumption of consumables and energy at the Houston manufacturing plant, reuse of energy and efficiency projects on the vessels.
Further to its pledge to reduce carbon intensity per ton of krill produced, the company has signed seven more sustainability commitments to be achieved by 2030. These commitments include ensuring full circularity on all its principal waste streams, contributing to one billion extra servings of seafood produced annually and combatting lifestyle diseases by delivering five billion doses of nutrients annually.
It has also committed to developing “innovative products that play an integral role in sustainable diets and the future food system”. The company plans to decarbonise aqua and animal feed by delivering low-carbon marine ingredients, improve fishery sustainability through contributing to regulation and ocean management, and maintain unconditional Marine Stewardship Council certification.
“These sustainability goals support our overall purpose – to improve human and planetary health – and make this purpose even more tangible. Every single person working in Aker BioMarine is involved in achieving these goals, and we will work across the company’s entire value chain to make sure we lead the way to a net zero end,” Johansen said.