Environment

FESCO is aware of its responsibility to minimise the environmental footprint of its transportation and logistics services and works to develop a more sustainable route from Asia to Europe along the Trans-Siberian Railway. We estimate that this route is more than twice as green in terms of CO₂ emissions per TEU as the Suez Canal route. This is because transportation by rail makes 80% of the route, which means much lower average greenhouse gas emissions compared to other modes of transport.

For example, transportation of a 40 -foot container with 14 tonnes of cargo through the Yokohama – Dortmund route produces 1,400 kg of CO₂ emissions vs 686 kg of CO₂ emissions when transported between similar points through the Russian Far East and further by the Trans-Siberian Railway (Data sources for calculation: DHL Carbon Calculator, Kuhne&Nagel Calculator).

In 2020, FESCO services transported over 122 thousand TEU from Asia Pacific to Europe and the European part of Russia through the ports of Vladivostok. Transportation of the same container load along an alternative route via the Suez Canal would mean more than 41,000 tonnes of additional CO₂ emissions, which is equivalent to CO₂ emissions produced by 9,000 cars.

To facilitate environmental protection, sustainable use and rehabilitation of natural resources and to comply with environmental protection requirements, VMTP approved a Programme for Environmental Monitoring and Industrial Control (EMIC). As part of the EMIC, environmental components are continuously monitored by using automated air pollution control equipment and involving accredited laboratories.

In 2020, as part of putting in place and adjustment of a sanitary protection zone, a positive expert opinion was issued for the design documentation – Project of the sanitary protection zone of VMTP production site located at 9 Strelnikova St., Vladivostok, Primorye Territory.

To reduce the environmental footprint, the following equipment was procured in 2020:

• six dust suppression systems were purchased and put into operation in addition to the existing four, to reach a total of ten systems;
• a street sweeper was purchased and put into operation in addition to the existing two to make a total of three sweepers;
• dust screens and wind barriers were installed – 5.21 thousand sq m in addition to the existing 3.76 thousand sq m.

FESCO continued to equip its fleet with ballast water treatment systems. In 2020, a vessel was purchased with such system already installed. For another vessel, a ballast water treatment system was manufactured in 2020 and installed during scheduled maintenance in April 2021.