There is a plan to decarbonize Stockholm-Turku ferry route

The green corridor can become reality by 2027, thanks to cooperation between private and academic sectors

Over the past 15 years, Viking Line, the ferry service connecting the cities of Turku (Finland) and Stockholm (Sweden), has succeeded in reducing carbon dioxide emissions from its vessels by nearly a third. Despite the good news, revealed over the summer, this was accompanied by an even more ambitious goal to completely decarbonize the sea route between the two cities by the year 2027.

Apart from the ferry operator, the project involves Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions, electric vehicle fast charging systems firm Kempower and the Åbo Akademi University in Turku.

Making the blue transport economy green

The route would serve as a so-called green corridor for both cargo and passengers between the two port cities, aligning with an environmentally friendly transport plan outlined by the EU in 2007.

The initial steps will be to make the sea route operated by Viking Line carbon neutral, while Rauma Marine develops energy-efficient solutions for operating the vessels together with Kempower for charging electric vehicles on board the ships.

The idea is to power the ferries with carbon-neutral fuel produced in Southwest Finland. Åbo Akademi University will be tasked with evaluating the societal benefits created by the green corridor. The idea is to also make the project scalable to other routes.

“The project is starting from the position that the transition to zero emissions will not increase the costs significantly. This will provide passengers with a sustainable alternative, an opportunity for the industry to gain [a] competitive advantage in sustainable transport and a tangible example of how we can eliminate emissions in seafaring using Finnish expertise,” he commented.

Business Finland, a government organization which fosters innovation and trade, has granted nearly 1.6 million euros in funding for the project. Viking Line, which is ineligible for funding from the public organisation for being domiciled on the autonomous Åland Islands, has received support from the Government of Åland.