Sustainable way

We at Open Shores Saimaa have various ways of functioning sustainably. Our boat’s Valmet engine runs on renewable HVO diesel from a Finnish provider St1. Additionally, our heating system Wallas Spartan Air, and water heater Wallas  40EA are optimized for renewable diesel. By utilizing renewable HVO, our carbon footprint can be up to 90% smaller when compared to fossil diesel. 

We got approved to Visit Finland’s sustainable travel program to achieve the certificate for using local and sustainable partners in our business. Update: We have not renewed our STF certificate for 2024/25.

Rebuilding the boat has been an exciting project and there we have had plenty of local support. All products we have bought locally, and companies helping us are also from the Lake Saimaa region, and future food supply, of course, comes from the same region.

All the cleaning detergents and soaps are 100% biodegradable and the ones that are not for example in the dishwasher will be collected and taken to wastewater handling. All the garbage is sorted for recycling. We leave no waste behind. 

One of our partners is the Luonto Saimaa project which is partially funded by the EU. They help companies in the Savonlinna region to create sustainable services and in the future apply Saimaa as a world heritage site. 

Our collaboration with St1 is at the core of operating as sustainably as possible in the boating industry.  More information about renewable diesel is here or by clicking the St1 logo. 

All our activities onboard are an ecological and healthy way to explore Lake Saimaa. Kayaking or SUP is a very personal and intimate way to discover surrounding islands and we help our customers to follow the simple rules of the Finnish wilderness.

We are proud to pay a yearly support fee for “Pidä Saaristo Siistinä RY” (Keep the Archipelago Tidy Association) for cleaning Lake Saimaa’s surroundings and the islands. 

We highly recommend our customers use public transport to reach Lake Saimaa. More info: 
http://www.vr.fi/en