The ports of Stockholm and Turku, alongside Viking Line, have signed an agreement to make the crossing between them fossil-free by 2035 at the latest.
The partnership will act as an innovative platform to develop scalable solutions for phasing out fossil fuels.
The initiative will also leverage the advances and solutions from the Decatrip project, a collaboration between Rauma Marine Constructions, Viking Line, Åbo Akademi University, and Kempower.
The Stockholm-Turku Green Corridor - 'green' as per the Clydebank Declaration, of which Finland and Sweden are signatories - is open to onboarding other stakeholders from the shipping and port industries, as well as cargo owners, freight forwarders, etc.
Clara Lindblom, City Council responsible for the Ports of Stockholm, commented:
Climate change is happening here and now. It is more important than ever to take tangible steps towards a green transition. We know that more transport by rail or sea is needed rather than by road and air. Green shipping plays a major role in climate transition measures in the transport sector
Jan Hanses, Viking Line's CEO, also underlined:
Viking Line is a shipping company that has its roots in the vulnerable archipelago. That means that for us, the work of protecting and preserving the Baltic Sea is part of our DNA. We strive to be an ambitious role model in the industry and are proud of taking this step together with the Ports of Stockholm and the Port of Turku to come closer to achieving fossil fuel-free cruises and transport in this important shipping fairway between Sweden, the Åland Islands, and Finland.
Erik Söderholm, Port of Turku's CEO, added:
Environmental work has always been a focus of our business operations. The Port of Turku nestles within a very vulnerable archipelago. This gives us the responsibility of respecting our surroundings at all times in our daily activities. In 2023, we signed Turku's Climate City Contract, which has the goal of the city being carbon neutral by 2029. This is a goal we are working systematically to achieve and is why this memorandum to develop a green transport corridor between Turku and Stockholm is a natural step for us.
Photo: Joacim Clarin/Ports of Stockholm