Environmental issues are a topic of discussion on the Baltic Sea, where the amount of oil transportation has increased by 460 per cent since 1999. For Neste Shipping Oy maritime safety is the number-one issue. The company's vessels are recognized as the safest in the world.

Every year an increasing amount of oil is travelling in an area designated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) as a 'particularly sensitive sea area' (PSSA). As a special area, special regulations can be laid down for the Baltic Sea with regard to towing, piloting and traffic separation areas.

"For example, a vessel notification system and traffic separation areas that have increased navigation safety have been created for the Baltic. Because some of the Baltic is frozen over every year, special regulations have been laid down for ships as regards their ice class," says Erkki Kotiranta, Vice President at Neste Shipping Oy.

People have skills

Safety at Neste Shipping Oy is emphasized in all transportation. The company has received recognition for its work. For example, the Port State Control, a body that inspects navigation between countries, found Finnish ships to be the safest in the world in 2006.

"As Neste Shipping is a big shipping company, much of the credit is ours. The recognition is an excellent indication of the good cooperation between officials and the shipping company," Kotiranta says with gratitude.

The company's ships have been designed so that they can transport oil products to customers safely and without delay all the year round. However, Kotiranta lays greater stress on people's expertise more than the vessels.

"A shipping company's success is increasingly dependent on how capable and committed to a set of values its personnel are and how motivated the personnel are in their work. The substance of a shipping company is in people not machines."

Continuous growth promised

About 10 million tonnes of oil are transported on the Baltic Sea every month and this figure is on the increase. Estimates say that in 2010 it might be 18 million tonnes a month. Russia's oil transportation via ice-covered harbours is expected to triple by 2015.

"Neste Shipping Oy will be aiming to get its share of the growth together with Neste Oil Corporation," Kotiranta says.

Last year the company carried a total of about 35 million tonnes, of which crude oil accounted for 20 million tonnes and oil products the rest. Most of the transportation was headed towards the Antwerp-Rotterdam Amsterdam (ARA) area, countries on the rim of the Baltic Sea and North America.

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As a special area, the Baltic Sea sets its own special demands on maritime transportation, such as winter navigation. Neste Shipping Oy is commended throughout the world for its expertise.