The Finnish-Swedish ferry company, plying between Umeå and Vaasa, has signed a contract with Gasum for the delivery of biogas, plus entered a FuelEU Maritime pool with Stena Line.

The bunker deal will see Wasaline's Aurora Botnia using only biofuels in the future - thus making it possible to check off the company's goal of becoming carbon-neutral before the initial 2030 deadline. This will also mean that the Umeå-Vaasa crossing will become a green shipping corridor in practice.

"We have attended many seminars where shipping companies are talking about the growing costs with the EU Emission Trading System and focusing on how to get exceptions from the rules. We have instead focused on the opportunities," noted Peter Ståhlberg, Managing Director of Wasaline.

He furthered, "We have constantly worked with the possibilities to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and environmental footprint, and we have seen the coming rules as an opportunity for our traffic between Finland and Sweden. With this unique collaboration with Stena Line and Gasum, Wasaline can achieve carbon neutrality already now as a forerunner for the industry. This also means that all cargo and passengers travelling with Wasaline are sustainable with no additional extra charges for being carbon-neutral."

Vegar Rype, Segment Director RoRo and Ferries at DNV, also highlighted, "At DNV we have been actively collaborating with partners, through the Nordic Roadmap, to launch green shipping corridors and we are very pleased to see the Vaasa-Umeå route, operated by Wasaline, recognized as the first international green shipping corridor in operation. This milestone directly supports the ambitions of both the Clydebank Declaration and the Ministerial Declaration on zero-emission shipping routes between the Nordic countries."

Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line, commented on the co-op, "By integrating Aurora Botnia into Stena Line's FuelEU Maritime pool, we gain access to biogas previously unavailable for Stena Line, which enables further emission reductions for the entire pool, lowers fuel costs, and strengthens our strategic position as biofuels become increasingly scarce under more stringent regulations."

Jacob Granqvist, VP Maritime at Gasum, summed up, "We are very delighted that Wasaline has chosen Gasum to deliver them biogas for the daily operations of Aurora Botnia, and we are proud to facilitate this collaboration with Stena Line. Renewable biogas is one of the already available concrete solutions for reducing emissions in maritime transport. Our goal is to continuously increase biogas availability to our customers in the years ahead."

Photo: Wasaline