The increasing use of biogas brings Wasaline’s Aurora Botnia closer to carbon neutrality
Wasaline’s Aurora Botnia has sailed across the Kvarken since 2021. The ferry runs on different fuels and battery energy, with renewable biogas increasingly replacing liquefied natural gas. This is especially thanks to climate compensation that Wasaline started offering to its freight customers at the beginning of 2024 and to its passengers later in the summer.
“Many of our passengers also wanted to have the possibility to compensate for their CO₂ emissions, but we were still surprised by how popular it became among them. In just three months, over 2,000 passengers had opted for climate compensation”, says Wasaline’s Managing Director Peter Ståhlberg.
“We use the revenue from the compensations to purchase biogas. Together with battery energy, biogas allows us to offer zero-emission transport.”
The year 2024 also saw a significant industry-wide change in maritime transport. In January, the sector became a part of the EU Emissions Trading System. All passenger and cargo ships of over 5,000 gross tonnages now need to participate in emissions trading.
“The less we emit CO₂ emissions, the less we need to purchase emission allowances. I see this as a welcome change – it motivates us to use biogas even more and develop new technical solutions with our partners”, Ståhlberg states.
“This new decision by the EU alongside Finland’s goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035 shows that Wasaline’s investments in climate-friendly operations are definitely an important advantage for us today.”
Ståhlberg refers to Aurora Botnia as a masterpiece of cooperation – the ferry is under continuing development with different partners, like Wärtsilä.
“Since its maiden voyage, Aurora Botnia’s emissions have dropped by 40 percent. Thanks to our partners, the ferry is now much more fuel and energy efficient.”
Aurora Botnia’s reducing emissions and growing use of biogas have led to a record number of freight transports in the Kvarken.
“This shows that companies place a great deal of value on climate-friendly maritime transport”, Ståhlberg says.
