A-ROSA on Course to a Sustainable Future
For 20 years, A-ROSA has been offering city breaks by ship on the Danube, Douro, Rhine/Main/Moselle, Rhône/Saône and Seine. As the market leader for this type of premium holiday, the company has a great responsibility not only towards the destinations, but also towards its guests and employees. A-ROSA recognises this responsibility and therefore acts as an industry pioneer in the field of sustainability. Future generations must also be able to discover the cities and landscapes visited today and to experience the fascination of Europe’s most stunning places.
The Sustainability Project of A-ROSA
Sustainability is an important factor in all company sectors. A sustainable course is an ongoing journey that does not involve a single solution, but an interplay of countless small, medium and big measures. To address this complexity, A-ROSA has established its own sustainability department at the beginning of 2022. This department is currently developing a well-founded and holistic sustainability strategy, which includes a goal-oriented roadmap.
For the development of a holistic sustainability strategy, it is important to have the support of a skilled, scientific project partner. That is why A-ROSA works with the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research (ISI) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The Fraunhofer ISI is one of the leading institutes for innovation research in Europe. It investigates the many different conditions under which innovations originate and their effects and helps decision makers set a strategic course.
The project, which started at the beginning of 2022, is divided into three main work packages. A well-founded sustainability strategy first requires a comprehensive assessment of A-ROSA’s current position. Methods such as stakeholder mapping and environment analysis required in-depth interviews with external and internal stakeholders as well as extensive literature research. In addition, A-ROSA’s sustainability footprint, which primarily considers the company’s environmental aspects, is calculated. The social and economic levels are also of enormous importance. In addition to already known findings, an internal employee survey was therefore conducted, both on shore and on board.
Once all the necessary information has been gathered and data collected, a well-founded roadmap is used to set specific sustainability goals and define measures to achieve them. Here, a workshop was held during which the internal A‑ROSA experts from the sustainability steering group engaged in discussions with the external partners from Fraunhofer ISI and KIT. Based on this workshop and following meetings, the specific goals and measures for the roadmap are now being finalised. A-ROSA plans to publish the results of this roadmap, which will initially run until 2030, soon.
The Fraunhofer ISI and the KIT will continue to support the company over the coming years in the successful implementation and monitoring of the envisioned steps with the help of a management tool.
The Course We Are Currently Sailing: A-ROSA SENA – The E-Motion Ship
An important milestone on the sustainable course of A-ROSA is A-ROSA SENA. The E-Motion Ship joined the fleet in June 2022 and is symbolic for the company’s future. This unique ship has a hybrid propulsion system, which is composed of diesel and electric engines. A large battery storage enables the so-called peak shaving and temporarily purely electric driving. As a result, A-ROSA SENA can dock in ports almost silently and without producing local emissions. The innovative concept of the ship, which among other things further includes a heat recovery system and exhaust gas cleaning, has already earned A-ROSA several sustainability awards.
Existing Measures
Of course, A-ROSA is not only pursuing the goal of sustainability on A-ROSA SENA. Various measures have already been implemented on the other ships in the A-ROSA fleet as well as directly within the company, and efforts are continually ongoing to act even more efficiently in terms of sustainability:
- All A-ROSA ships have a shore power connection, which they can use wherever shore-side infrastructure allows.
- All A-ROSA ships are operated with MGO (Marine Gas Oil), which contains no heavy oil and is virtually sulphur-free.
- Waste heat is used to warm the water for showering, washing hands, heating etc. on board.
- Many walking tours, active and cycling excursions are on offer. E-bikes can also be hired for individual tours.
- All A-ROSA ships are equipped with modern wastewater treatment plants and the resulting sewage sludge is disposed of in ports by certified companies.
- A-ROSA tries to save water wherever possible – for example towels, bed linen etc. are only washed during the cruise if the guest specifically requests it.
- Care products and cleaning agents on board are formulated with certified ingredients and filled in recyclable packaging.
- A-ROSA is continuously working on reducing all types of waste, such as single-use plastic and food waste.
- For example, buffets do without portioned products, paper straws are used, and water dispensers have been already installed on most ships.
- The waste accumulated on board is carefully separated and disposed of in ports.
- At shore-based locations employees are working as paperless as possible, for example travel documents are sent out digitally and only printed out if explicitly asked for.
- A choice of vegan and/or vegetarian dishes is offered during all meals fleetwide.
- The culinary concept on board is organised as local as possible. Regional specialities are bought at local markets, butchers or market halls.
- Attention is paid to certified, organic and resource-efficient products and the aim is to continuously increase the proportion of such food.
- A-ROSA supports destinations and communities with long stays in central ports and close cooperation with regional operators. By doing so, the local economy is boosted.
- Employees on shore and on board receive fair wages and generous holidays, appropriate bonuses and a range of other benefits.
- For example, A-ROSA employees in Rostock can work hybrid or remotely if they wish, request a discounted ticket for public transport and regularly benefit from a range of preventative health services.
- Exciting team events such as getting to know A-ROSA SENA, taking part in the Rostock company run and a pedometer challenge are an integral part of the corporate philosophy.
- A-ROSA supports cultural, athletic and social clubs, organisations and causes in Rostock and vicinity.
Our Sustainable Ambitions Are Evident: Green Award
Green Award is an independent non-profit organisation from the Netherlands founded in 1994. It inspects aspects such as engines, fuel and emissions, environmental protection and safety on board inland and ocean-going vessels. If an inspected ship fulfils ambitious standards, it receives a Green Award certificate. Certification can be achieved at three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The Rhine ships A-ROSA AQUA, A-ROSA BRAVA and A-ROSA SILVA have been awarded Silver. The innovative E-Motion Ship, A-ROSA SENA, received the Gold certification level, which has only been awarded to a handful of river ships to date. A successful Green Award indicates modern technology and safe operations, as well as the pursuit of constant development and optimisation of on-board processes and a redefinition of ship design.
The A-ROSA Minds Behind Our Future Course: Our Sustainability Department
At the beginning of 2022, A-ROSA created its own sustainability department so that the company can take a holistic approach to sustainability in the future and bring all relevant aspects together in one department. Sustainability Manager Sandra Wendland, who reports directly to the CEO, is in charge of the department. She is supported by her colleague, Junior Sustainability Manager Cynthia Hoppe.
Sandra Wendland has a Bachelor’s degree in Leisure and Tourism Management as well as a Master’s degree in International Business and Sustainability. During her studies, she acquired professional experience at a well-known cruise line. She then worked as a Corporate Responsibility Specialist for a major retail company. She focused on social issues, such as compliance with labour and social standards in the supply chain, as well as environmental issues, in particular sustainable packaging.
Cynthia Hoppe has a Master’s degree in industrial engineering. During her studies, she worked at the Fraunhofer Institute for Large Structures in Production Engineering (IGP), where she was hired as a research assistant after graduation. In the “Production Systems and Logistics” department, she helped regional industrial partners to make their operations more efficient. For example, she worked with a shipping company and a ferry and cruise operator to develop an innovative solution to reduce emissions by optimising processes.
Wendland and Hoppe are now bringing all of this expertise to A-ROSA. The two are working determinedly on driving forward the sustainability focus and developing a well-founded sustainability strategy supported by the Fraunhofer ISI and KIT.
Facts on Sustainability at A-ROSA
SUSTAINABILITY DEPARTMENT
- Established in February 2022
- Sandra Wendland, Sustainability Manager
- Cynthia Hoppe, Junior Sustainability Manager
SUSTAINABILITY PROJECT
- Started in February 2022
- Fraunhofer ISI and KIT as external partners
- Development of a well-founded and holistic sustainability strategy
- Calculation of the sustainability footprint
- Creation of a roadmap with goals and concrete measures on how to reach them
- Monitoring with the help of a management tool
EXISTING MEASURES
- Emission reduction
- Heavy fuel oil- and sulphur-free fuel MGO (Marine Gas Oil)
- Waste heat usage (water heating)
- Many excursions on e-bikes, on foot etc.
- Water conservation and usage
- Modern wastewater treatment plants
- No needless washing
- Certified care and cleaning products
- Waste reduction
- Continuous reduction of single-use plastic and food waste (e.g. through water dispensers)
- Waste separation
- Using paper as sparingly as possible
- Conscious indulgence
- Vegan and vegetarian dishes
- On-board culinary concept as local as possible
- Continuous increase of certified food
A-ROSA SENA
- Put into service in June 2022, Northern Rhine
- E-Motion Ship with hybrid propulsion system, i.e. diesel and electro motors and battery storage
- Allows for so-called Peakshaving and temporarily purely electric driving
- Allows for so-called Peakshaving and temporarily purely electric driving
- Further technological innovations on board:
- SCR-catalysators (highly efficient particle filters)
- Generator that turns waste heat into electricity
- State-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant
- Certified and awarded with:
- Green Award in Gold
- 2022 German Awards for Sustainability Projects – 1. Place in the category “Service – Mobility”
