By
Alex Smith |
Viking Line is to introduce the first green shipping corridor on the Baltic Sea between Turku, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden, for one week in celebration of Baltic Sea Day.
The green corridor, which is a route where the transport of cargo and passengers is carbon neutral, will be created by the exclusive use of liquefied biogas (LBG) as a fuel for Viking Glory and Viking Grace from 29 August to 4 September. According to Viking Line, use of LBG will reduce the vessels’ carbon dioxide emissions by 90 per cent compared to their usual operation on LNG fuel. A total of 2,600 fewer tonnes of greenhouse gas will therefore be generated during the week, a reduction equivalent to the annual carbon dioxide footprint of 270 Finnish people.
“This is an historic moment for us, the Baltic Sea and maritime transport,” said Dani Lindberg, sustainability manager for Viking Line. “Scheduled service has never before been powered solely by biofuel. We have invested €450 million ($495 million) in our climate-smart vessels Viking Grace and Viking Glory, and one of their most important features is that they can run on LNG, biofuel and future synthetic fuels produced from renewable energy. Such significant environmental measures are the result of our long-term work.”
Viking Line has offered its passengers and its conference and cargo customers the option of purchasing biofuel corresponding to the amount of fuel used for their travel since 2023, reducing emissions by 90 per cent per passenger or cargo unit when taken. This biogas is supplied by Gasum, which makes the fuel using food and agricultural waste. The biogas is produced in Europe and the origin of each gas consignment is documented.
“There is still limited access to renewable fuels, and the price for such fuels is at least twice as high compared to LNG,” said Lindberg. “It is important to create demand in order for supply to rise and the price to fall.”