The UK’s largest ship operator North Star is toasting its progress towards a net-zero fleet after reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 18% since 2022.
The Aberdeen-headquartered company is also celebrating a 15% year-on-year cut in Scope 1 greenhouse gas emissions. The findings were revealed in the company’s 2024 ESG report, led by strategic projects manager Jen Redman (pictured).
The company, which has 48 vessels in its fleet, has also more than doubled its EBITDA from offshore wind in the past year.
North Star said its £400m ongoing commitment as part of its ESG strategy, combined with a £1.8m investment in crew training last year, has delivered significant progress in its transition to operating a net zero fleet by 2045.
The 12-month analysis illustrates the deployment of the company’s first three service operation vessels (SOVs) under long-term charter agreements.
Since 2024, a fourth SOV has been operational at the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, while the firm’s first methanol-ready SOV has commenced work under a European contract. Three more SOVs are scheduled for delivery in 2025 and 2026.
North Star invested £108.1m in new offshore wind vessels during 2024 alone, contributing to a total of £500m since entering the market in 2021.
Commenting on North Star’s ESG report, Redman said: “Our ESG performance isn’t simply a compliance exercise, it’s integral to how we make decisions. By embedding sustainability into operational decision-making, we’ve cut emissions, improved efficiency and secured major new charters.”
North Star said these improvements have been driven by the transition towards new, more fuel-efficient vessels as new SOVs are delivered, a focus on efficiency in vessel route planning and an awareness campaign which drives ships’ crew to place an emphasis on fuel efficiency in operational decision-making.
The company’s growing SOV fleet is designed with hybrid propulsion, battery-ready architecture and green methanol compatibility, enabling seamless integration of zero-emission technologies as they scale.
North Star chief executive Gitte Gard Talmo said: “Operating in one of the world’s most essential, and emissions intensive sectors brings with it a profound responsibility to lead the transition to cleaner, more sustainable operations.
“Last year we took significant steps to reduce our environmental footprint across all areas of the business from vessel design to crew behaviour. This laser-sharp approach has delivered measurable decarbonisation, led not just by our people but the on-going digitalisation for fleet management that we have introduced.”