Articles by Ajsa Habibic

Technology

Stena Line takes over world’s northernmost shipping company

In a bid to strengthen its position in the Baltic Sea, Swedish ferry company Stena Line has acquired Wasaline, the world’s northernmost shipping company, which operates daily passenger and freight services between Vaasa, Finland, and Umeå, Sweden. Under the agreement signed on November 4, Stena Line will take over operations of Wasaline and the Vaasa-Umeå route. The hybrid ferry Aurora Botnia, which sails the route, will continue to be owned by Kvarken Link, the company jointly owned by the two cities. The acquisition is subject to approval by the respective municipal councils of Umeå and Vaasa, expected to take place in November 2025. The transaction is also conditional on customary closing conditions such as authority approvals. The closing is expected to take place at the beginning of 2026. With the addition of Umeå–Vaasa, Stena Line will have its fifth Baltic Sea route. “It is strategically important to ensure that the service between Vaasa and Umeå continues and has the possibility to grow in the future. We look forward to continuing to develop our work on environmental and operational efficiency together with Stena Line. Wasaline’s staff, both onshore and onboard, will continue to deliver the same great service as today. This will be a major boost for the region, bringing significant positive synergies,” said Peter Ståhlberg, CEO of Wasaline. In July 2025, Wasaline entered into a biogas agreement with Gasum and a Fuel EU Maritime pooling agreement with Stena Line, making the Vaasa – Umeå route the first international green shipping corridor in operation, following support from the DNV-led Nordic Roadmap. “With Wasaline, we not only gain a vessel equipped with the latest environmental technology and capable of sailing CO₂-neutral on a regular basis, we also enhance our access to alternative fuels. In addition, we gain a strong intermodal transport link toward Gothenburg and Trelleborg, and onwards to the European continent,” commented Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line.