A Green Shipping Corridor between Umeå and Vaasa
One of the first Green Shipping Corridors in the world
In May 2022, the Nordic environment and climate ministers agreed on a special declaration on a pilot project regarding green transport corridors.
The project, led by the Norwegian classification society DNV, focuses on shipping between the Nordic countries and aims to identify potential routes and actors willing to enter into partnerships on green transport corridors. In its mapping, DNV identified the route between Vaasa and Umeå as one of the two most interesting Nordic shipping corridors out of 81 routes.
The City of Vaasa, Umeå Municipality, Umeå Hamn AB, Umeå Kommunföretag AB, VASEK, INAB, Wasaline and Kvarken Ports therefore entered into a letter of intent on a Green Maritime Corridor between Umeå and Vaasa. The letter of intent represents a strong commitment to promoting sustainable traffic and to cooperation between the cities and their stakeholders. The collaboration aims to make the connection climate neutral by 2030.
CO2-neutral transporta between Umeå and Vaasa
The ferry Aurora Botnia, which operates the route between Umeå and Wasa by the shipping company Wasaline, will offer carbon-neutral transport since August 1, 2025, as the ferry is powered by electricity and biogas. Wasaline is thus the first carbon-neutral shipping company in the Baltic Sea. This also means that the work to form one of the world's first Green Maritime Corridors has been completed.
The ferry is jointly owned by the City of Vaasa and Umeå Municipality.
Facts
Project period
2023-2025
Aim
CO2-neutral sea transports
Where
Umeå-Vaasa
An EU-initiativ
In the fall of 2021, the United Kingdom launched an initiative called the Clydebank Declaration. The countries that have signed it commit to working together to establish at least six maritime green corridors by the mid-2020s. The goal is that by 2030 the number of green corridors will already be significantly larger. The declaration has been signed by 24 countries.
Green shipping corridors refer to emission-free routes between two or more ports. According to the declaration, this means that the fuels do not cause greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
The aim is to promote cooperation between strategic actors, specify challenges and possible measures, include the possible measures in the national action plans and consider how the maritime green corridors impact the environment and its sustainability at a general level.
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