At the end of August, Aurora Botnia made its maiden voyage between Umeå and Vaasa. The new ferry across the Northern Kvarken is said to be the world's most environmentally friendly passenger ferry and has shortened the journey time by one hour.
Through the shallow waters of the Vaasa archipelago, Aurora Botnia silently sails out into the fog. The ferry, which was inaugurated on August 28, is powered by electricity in the ports and has a dual fuel solution that will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by over 50 percent compared to the old ferry Wasa Express.
Aurora Botnia is currently powered by natural gas but is also designed to be powered by biogas in the future. It is also marketed as the world's most environmentally friendly passenger ferry.
”"It feels absolutely fantastic that we are up and running. The journey time has been shortened from 4.5 to 3.5 hours, but above all, you avoid the noise, and everything is modern," says Staffan Store, the superintendent who guides you around the ferry.
The shipping company Wasaline is jointly owned by Umeå Kommunföretag and the city of Vaasa. The company was formed to take over the operation of the sea traffic between Umeå in Sweden and Vaasa in Finland in 2012, and in 2015 also formed the parent company Kvarken Link to secure financing for the construction of a completely new ferry.
Aurora Botnia is built in Rauma, Finland, with mainly Finnish components. The propulsion system with the dual-fuel engines comes from Wärtsilä.
”In addition to the 120 million kronor that the ferry cost, major investments are also being made in the ports on both sides,” says Staffan Store.
Freight traffic has a capacity of 1,500 meters for trucks and passenger cars, and is the cornerstone of the business.
”"With our position in the middle of the battery cluster, with a factory both in Skellefteå and the one planned in Vaasa, we have great hopes of contributing positively to the region," says Staffan Store.
The passenger capacity is 800 people, and the ship has bars, restaurants, a shop, conference facilities, business lounges and pet rooms.
Wasaline had a turnover of SEK 250 million in 2019 with a profit margin of 10 percent. During the pandemic, freight has increased to record levels and with the new ferry and fewer restrictions, a substantial increase is also seen in passenger traffic.
”"The booking situation for the autumn has never looked so good this early. Among other things, we have sold a lot of conferences," says Staffan Store.
AURORA BOTHNIA
Capacity: 800 passengers and 1500 meters of cargo space for trucks and cars.
Number of cabins: 64.
Travel time: 3.5 hours.
Owned by: Kvarken Link.
Cost: 120 million euros.
Source: di.se
