Reducing pollution and improving circularity through monitoring and control
How can WSS improve control of our global circular cylinder program and in turn reduce pollution of the environment?
WSS operates a global circular cylinder exchange program with approximately 600,000 cylinders, supplying gases and refrigerants in WSS-owned cylinders that are returned, refurbished, and reused once the customers have used up the contents in the cylinder. However, due to limited tracking capabilities onboard vessels, thousands of cylinders go missing annually. Some are improperly discarded in landfills or the natural environment, where residual refrigerants may leak, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and ozone depletion in addition to polluting the environment. Cylinders are also in many cases handed over from customers to WSS competitors as WSS lacks insight of their whereabouts and the opportunity to get them back.
The environmental impact is compounded by the need to manufacture replacements, which increases raw material consumption and emissions from raw material process and finally production. Over the past two years, approximately 18,000 cylinders have been registered as lost—valued at over USD 3 million—with an additional 65,000 cylinders at high risk after remaining onboard for more than five years, far exceeding the typical 1–2 year rotation cycle.
Knowing the whereabouts of our cylinders would allow us to capture them before they disappear and thereby reduce environmental harm and support the circularity of the program by ensuring cylinders are reused until end-of-life and then recycled.
WSS operates a global circular cylinder exchange program with approximately 600,000 cylinders, supplying gases and refrigerants in WSS-owned cylinders that are returned, refurbished, and reused once the customers have used up the contents in the cylinder. However, due to limited tracking capabilities onboard vessels, thousands of cylinders go missing annually. Some are improperly discarded in landfills or the natural environment, where residual refrigerants may leak, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and ozone depletion in addition to polluting the environment. Cylinders are also in many cases handed over from customers to WSS competitors as WSS lacks insight of their whereabouts and the opportunity to get them back.
The environmental impact is compounded by the need to manufacture replacements, which increases raw material consumption and emissions from raw material process and finally production. Over the past two years, approximately 18,000 cylinders have been registered as lost—valued at over USD 3 million—with an additional 65,000 cylinders at high risk after remaining onboard for more than five years, far exceeding the typical 1–2 year rotation cycle.
Knowing the whereabouts of our cylinders would allow us to capture them before they disappear and thereby reduce environmental harm and support the circularity of the program by ensuring cylinders are reused until end-of-life and then recycled.
WSS operates a global circular cylinder exchange program with approximately 600,000 cylinders, supplying gases and refrigerants in WSS-owned cylinders that are returned, refurbished, and reused once the customers have used up the contents in the cylinder. However, due to limited tracking capabilities onboard vessels, thousands of cylinders go missing annually. Some are improperly discarded in landfills or the natural environment, where residual refrigerants may leak, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and ozone depletion in addition to polluting the environment. Cylinders are also in many cases handed over from customers to WSS competitors as WSS lacks insight of their whereabouts and the opportunity to get them back.
The environmental impact is compounded by the need to manufacture replacements, which increases raw material consumption and emissions from raw material process and finally production. Over the past two years, approximately 18,000 cylinders have been registered as lost—valued at over USD 3 million—with an additional 65,000 cylinders at high risk after remaining onboard for more than five years, far exceeding the typical 1–2 year rotation cycle.
Knowing the whereabouts of our cylinders would allow us to capture them before they disappear and thereby reduce environmental harm and support the circularity of the program by ensuring cylinders are reused until end-of-life and then recycled.
WSS operates a global circular cylinder exchange program with approximately 600,000 cylinders, supplying gases and refrigerants in WSS-owned cylinders that are returned, refurbished, and reused once the customers have used up the contents in the cylinder. However, due to limited tracking capabilities onboard vessels, thousands of cylinders go missing annually. Some are improperly discarded in landfills or the natural environment, where residual refrigerants may leak, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and ozone depletion in addition to polluting the environment. Cylinders are also in many cases handed over from customers to WSS competitors as WSS lacks insight of their whereabouts and the opportunity to get them back.
The environmental impact is compounded by the need to manufacture replacements, which increases raw material consumption and emissions from raw material process and finally production. Over the past two years, approximately 18,000 cylinders have been registered as lost—valued at over USD 3 million—with an additional 65,000 cylinders at high risk after remaining onboard for more than five years, far exceeding the typical 1–2 year rotation cycle.
Knowing the whereabouts of our cylinders would allow us to capture them before they disappear and thereby reduce environmental harm and support the circularity of the program by ensuring cylinders are reused until end-of-life and then recycled.
What you need to know about us
Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is part of the Wilhelmsen Group, a family-owned maritime conglomerate with roots dating back to 1861. The company is headquartered in Lysaker, but all operations are global. WSS operates the world’s largest maritime network, delivering over 225,000 shipments annually across 2,200 ports. The company serves around 50% of the global merchant fleet and supports more than 27,000 vessels each year. With around 1,300 employees world-wide, WSS offers a wide range of products and services for vessels in operation, dry dock, or under construction. These include maintenance chemicals, industrial gases, mooring ropes, and other critical supplies.
WSS’s customer base is diverse and global, with varying preferences and procurement patterns. The maritime sector, which handles 80% of global trade, is central to the world economy and increasingly influenced by ESG considerations. WSS emphasizes sustainability, highlighting shipping’s lower CO₂ emissions compared to other transport modes.
What you need to know about us
Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is part of the Wilhelmsen Group, a family-owned maritime conglomerate with roots dating back to 1861. The company is headquartered in Lysaker, but all operations are global. WSS operates the world’s largest maritime network, delivering over 225,000 shipments annually across 2,200 ports. The company serves around 50% of the global merchant fleet and supports more than 27,000 vessels each year. With around 1,300 employees world-wide, WSS offers a wide range of products and services for vessels in operation, dry dock, or under construction. These include maintenance chemicals, industrial gases, mooring ropes, and other critical supplies.
WSS’s customer base is diverse and global, with varying preferences and procurement patterns. The maritime sector, which handles 80% of global trade, is central to the world economy and increasingly influenced by ESG considerations. WSS emphasizes sustainability, highlighting shipping’s lower CO₂ emissions compared to other transport modes.
What you need to know about us
Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is part of the Wilhelmsen Group, a family-owned maritime conglomerate with roots dating back to 1861. The company is headquartered in Lysaker, but all operations are global. WSS operates the world’s largest maritime network, delivering over 225,000 shipments annually across 2,200 ports. The company serves around 50% of the global merchant fleet and supports more than 27,000 vessels each year. With around 1,300 employees world-wide, WSS offers a wide range of products and services for vessels in operation, dry dock, or under construction. These include maintenance chemicals, industrial gases, mooring ropes, and other critical supplies.
WSS’s customer base is diverse and global, with varying preferences and procurement patterns. The maritime sector, which handles 80% of global trade, is central to the world economy and increasingly influenced by ESG considerations. WSS emphasizes sustainability, highlighting shipping’s lower CO₂ emissions compared to other transport modes.
What you need to know about us
Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) is part of the Wilhelmsen Group, a family-owned maritime conglomerate with roots dating back to 1861. The company is headquartered in Lysaker, but all operations are global. WSS operates the world’s largest maritime network, delivering over 225,000 shipments annually across 2,200 ports. The company serves around 50% of the global merchant fleet and supports more than 27,000 vessels each year. With around 1,300 employees world-wide, WSS offers a wide range of products and services for vessels in operation, dry dock, or under construction. These include maintenance chemicals, industrial gases, mooring ropes, and other critical supplies.
WSS’s customer base is diverse and global, with varying preferences and procurement patterns. The maritime sector, which handles 80% of global trade, is central to the world economy and increasingly influenced by ESG considerations. WSS emphasizes sustainability, highlighting shipping’s lower CO₂ emissions compared to other transport modes.