Compared to the first 12 months of running her predecessor, Wasa Express in 2013, Wasaline's newbuild's carbon footprint went down by 51.8%.

Furthermore, as Aurora Botnia makes more round-trips than Wasa Express, the reduction in average emissions per departure was down 67.2%.

"We have been able to reduce emissions significantly in a challenging situation where fuel costs have increased rapidly. The reduction would be even greater if we could use LNG [liquefied natural gas] all the time. However, the record-high market prices of gas have forced us to use diesel as an alternative," Peter Ståhlberg, Wasaline's Managing Director, underlined.

He added, "Our efforts to cut down emissions are never over. We strive to keep Aurora Botnia as the world's most environmentally friendly ferry now and in the future. We also see the proposed emissions trading in maritime transport as a positive development, as long as the rules treat all shipping companies equally."

The Aurora Botnia ferry, constructed at the Finnish Rauma Marine Constructions, is 150 m long and 26 m wide, offering room for 800 passengers and 1,500 lane metres for cargo. The 141 by 22.8 m Wasa Express could accommodate 1,500 passengers (though it was registered for a lower number of 800 when operated by Wasaline) and had 1,150 lane metres of freight space.

Aurora Botnia plies between the Swedish Umeå and the Finnish Vaasa.

Photo: Wasaline