Passengers who sail to Corsica are lovers of nature

Passengers who embarqueront this summer to Corsica on boating company southern ships will have the time to contemplate the horizon. To reduce its ecological footprint, the company extended half an hour crossing. From the environmental action programme, it was devised by the company as part of the certification ISO 14,000, the standard for sustainable development that it has just. It expected savings of 1.7 on energy consumption, which will be added to those already carried out last year by coating the hull of two of its ships with the aerodynamic virtues silicone paint. "Passengers who sail to Corsica are lovers of nature." "By becoming the first French armaments certified on this journey, we take a commercial length in advance," said Commander Olivier Varin, Deputy Director-General.

Tentatively started four years ago, the energy household relates to all corners of the company. Wharf, bicycles and electric vehicles have replaced cars for travel of staff to the ships or the maintenance shop. On board, passengers are involved for the selective sorting while seamen shall disembark in special containers everything that can be valued: wood, metal, neon lights, fatty rags, batteries, batteries, dirty water... "It is a large site of conscience," admits the President of the company Robert de Lambilly. To mobilize his troops (445 employees, including 310 sailors), he had to edit a newsletter hammering the importance of each gesture to the daily.

Alternative fuels

The involvement of the South is also technical. On the three vessels in its fleet, the company learns to technicians to better engine to optimize the combustion and reducing their discharges in gases. "We operate an active watch on alternative energy," said Olivier Varin. In his sights: the new fuels algal already tested in civil aviation or the operation of the force wind. The company is working on this subject with the Skysail Dutch company, which conducts tests on large ships traction with kite sails. The system envisaged by the southern will deploy a surface wind 360 m2 and its manipulation will be automated. Expected fuel savings: between 5 and 15 depending on the strength of the wind. At this rate, investment (EUR 750,000 about) should be amortized in just one year.

The southern also expect many of the new ship that it is build in Split Croatia site. A heavy weight that will take her hull 180 metres to carry 750 passengers, 200 cars and 2,500 2011, linear meters of cargo. "We have integrated design of severe ecological management constraints", resumed the Chair. Including a garbage management system very developed for the selective sorting and compaction on the paintings of hull with silicone, fuel-efficient engines and a revolutionary sensor developed by société marseillaise CMR to analyze the quality of the injected fuel in real time and optimize settings with an onboard spectrometer. To ensure the scoop of the device that will allow a 5 of its consumption economy, the company has invested 250,000 euros in this research project labelled by the pole of competitiveness sea.

Side marine Finally, the southern has placed as one of the first signatories of the system Repset (report of the positions of cetaceans network) piloted by the Chrisar Software Technologies company and association ecologist blower of skimmings, hoping to prevent the risk of collision of vessels with marine mammals. To go to Corsica, companies all across the Pelagos sanctuary, which draws a triangle of 87.500 km2 of Sardinia in the Mediterranean coast, between the Giens peninsula pit Chiarone in Italy. Scientists deplore at least two collisions per year. With Repset, the coordinates of whales identified by a ship will be transferred in real time.

All combined shares the South hopes to reduce its production of carbon of almost 3,000 TeqC, representing 6.8 of its current emissions.

\