Wasaline introduced a carbon offset option in June 2024, which has seen significant uptake, particularly among Swedish travellers, with over 1,500 choosing to offset their travel emissions. The proceeds are used to power the ship with biogas, enhancing its sustainability. Wasaline aims to reduce its carbon footprint by at least 5% annually, working towards climate-neutral operations by 2030.
Passengers on the Vaasa-Umeå route can now opt to compensate for their journey by paying a nominal voluntary fee. Wasaline aims to reduce its climate footprint by at least 5% annually and achieve climate neutrality in Kvarken by 2030.
Operating with biogas and batteries has made the journey climate neutral. Since the launch of Aurora Botnia, CO2 emissions have decreased by 27.1%, with 10% of journeys in 2023 powered by biogas. The 2024 goal is a 15% reduction in CO2 footprint, according to Peter Ståhlberg, Managing Director of Wasaline.
Customer demand has driven the introduction of climate compensation, with fees used to purchase biogas. There is significant interest from cargo customers in climate-neutral operations. Currently, Wasaline offers emission-neutral intermodal transport to the continent via Sweden, using trains from Gothenburg and Trelleborg ports. The Vaasa-Umeå sea route aspires to be a Green Shipping Corridor by 2030.
Wasaline announced excellent results for 2023.
+4.4% passengers
+14.3% cars
+11.6% buses
-5.9% cargo units, mostly due to the ending of traffic to and from Russia. The volume of imported paper has decreased due to lower demand. Export from Finland has remained approximately at the same level.
Turnover for Wasaline stayed the same compared to 2022.
Wasaline expects the first two quarters of 2024 to be difficult for both passenger and freight services due to the current economic downturn.
The shipping company is closely monitoring the (heavy) ice conditions in the Kvarken strait and is prepared to reduce the frequency of departures if necessary.
Wasaline continues to show record figures in traffic between Vaasa (Finland) and Umeå (Sweden).
Up: passenger and vehicle volumes.
Down: freight volumes, due to the economic downturn.
+7% passengers (67,029) in July 2023
+12.5% passengers in H1, 2023
+16.4% cars (17,625) in July 2023
+28.2% buses (50) in July 2023
-14.4% cargo lane metres (26,188) in July 2023
“We are very satisfied with the summer so far, and the booking status for August looks promising as well,” says Peter Ståhlberg, Managing Director of Wasaline.
- Wasaline is making organizational changes to emphasize its role as a forerunner in maritime sustainability.
- Catarina Fant has been appointed as Director, Brand, Communications and Sustainability. In her new role she will also oversee strategic investments and establish contacts with partners and financiers in sustainability-related projects.
- Responsibility for marketing duties will be shifted from Fant to Marketing Manager Markku Ikonen. He reports to Head of Sales and Business Development Niina Aitamurto. Niina will lead the updated sales and marketing organization as well as the Growth Team, a cross-functional unit that is responsible for driving company growth.
- By making these changes, Wasaline responds to the growing demand in the market and stays one step ahead.
Wärtsilä and Wasaline have made an agreement to allow Wärtsilä Field Service engineers to do the Wärtsilä NOx Spot Check on-job-training onboard AURORA BOTNIA. The Wärtsilä NOx Spot Check training consists of two parts: a theoretical course and the OJT. [press release]
Wasaline has reported a record 2022:
- Operating profit was EUR 3.3 million
- Revenue up 78.6%
- Fuel costs increased 55.4% to EUR 5.97 million
- Labour and benefit costs increased by 37.5%
- Passenger revenue was up 150.7 % and volumes up 149%
- Freight revenue up 7.7% and volumes by 4.4%
- Passenger vehicle numbers increased 126%
- Departures of AURORA BOTNIA increased 14% to 1,133 sailings
- Energy consumption reduced by 21% per trip and CO2 emissions by 19.6%
The number of guests who travelled in 2022 between Eckerö and Grisslehamn is much higher than the year before, and is about 82% of the passenger volume in pre-covid year 2019.
From 1 July 2022, all entry restrictions from Sweden to Åland were also removed, which meant that many Swedes again booked Åland as their holiday destination via the Eckerö Line in 2022.
Photographer: Niclas Nordl
AURORA BOTNIA carried 267,757 passengers between Vaasa and Umeå in 2022.
The year was a success in many ways:
+149% increase in passenger volume
+11.5% increase in transported tonnes
+4.4% cargo units
+126% increase in transported passenger vehicles
+14% departures of AURORA BOTNIA
+78.6% turnover
-19.6% reduction in CO2 emissions
Wasaline and NextLog have co-operated in developing an integration between CarRes freight management system and LogiControl transport management system. Operators using LogiControl can now enjoy a stream-lined booking process for freight bound for ropax Aurora Botnia.