Wasaline shipping company, which transports passengers and freight daily between Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden, has signed a biogas contract with Gasum and a Fuel EU Maritime pooling agreement with Stena Line that enables the company to use only biofuels in the future. The company said this makes it the first carbon-neutral shipping company in the Baltic Sea and makes its Vaasa – Umeå route the first international green shipping corridor in operation.
The company’s hybrid ferry, Aurora Botnia, is equipped with dual-fuel engines and batteries. The agreements with Gasum and Stena Line enables it to use only biofuels going forward.
“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”, says Vegar Rype, Segment Director RoRo and Ferries at DNV.
Global shipping companies are working on sustainable, low-carbon emission alternatives to using fossil fuels aiming for carbon-neutral shipping. Starting in 2025, the EU mandated that the maritime industry join the aviation industry in the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS). This requires some shipping companies to purchase and use EU ETS emission allowances for each ton of reported CO2 or equivalent. In 2025, ships must cover 40% of their emissions through the ETS system, with the amount gradually increasing to 100% in 2027. This only applies to tank-to-wake emissions, however: the emissions that occur from the time they take fuel on board. In 2025 FuelEU came online, covering well-to-wake emissions–all the greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the ship including fuel production. FuelEU requires a 2% reduction in lifecycle GHG emissions in 2025, increasing to 80% in 2050. Additionally, the International Maritime Organization has implemented new targets for carbon reduction.
“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”, says Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line.
