Viking Lines set to slash emissions in Green Corridor demo

Viking Line's Viking Glory being bunkered by Gasum. [Photo: Viking Line]

Thursday, August 29, will be Baltic Sea Day and Finland’s Viking Line will mark it by starting a week in which its vessels serving the Turku, Finland, to Stockholm, Sweden, route will reduce their emissions by 90% by operating for the first time for a whole week solely on liquefied biogas (bio LNG), long identified as a prime pathway to carbon neutrality.

Viking Line says that its Viking Glory and Viking Grace will “demonstrate what the future looks like for the first green shipping corridor on the Baltic Sea.”

By using only liquefied biogas (LBG) as a fuel from August 29 to September 4, the vessels’ carbon dioxide emissions will be reduced by 90%, compared to operating on the liquefied natural gas (LNG) that is normally used.

During the week, a total of about 2,600 fewer tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions will be generated than normally.

“This is an historic moment for us, the Baltic Sea and maritime transport,” says Viking Line’s sustainability manager, Dani Lindberg. “Scheduled service has never before been powered solely by biofuel. We have invested 450 million euros 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.”

For one year now, 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. This reduces emissions by 90% per passenger or cargo unit.

“Both consumers and corporate customers expect responsible conduct from us, and they themselves are prepared to take part in protecting the vulnerable nature of the Baltic Sea’s archipelagos,” says Lindberg. “The number of trips using biofuel increased 500% immediately when we highlighted the option earlier in our booking system,”

Normally, liquefied natural gas (LNG) is used on the Turku route, and this fuel has significantly lower nitrogen oxide emissions than the heavy fuel oil traditionally used on vessels. Both LNG and LBG (liquefied biogas) generate virtually no harmful sulfur or particle emissions.

Viking Line’s biogas is supplied by Gasum, which makes the fuel from food and agricultural waste. The biogas is produced in Europe, and the origin of each gas consignment is clearly documented.

Viking Line is involved in efforts to develop a green sea corridor between Turku and Stockholm and between Helsinki and Tallinn. These green corridors are routes where the transport of both cargo and passengers is carbon-neutral. Emission reductions in maritime transport are regulated in part by the EU’s Fit for 55 program for a green transition and the EU emissions trading system as well as the International Maritime Organization’s strategy for greenhouse gas emissions.