The Finnish-Swedish shipping company Wasaline becomes the property of Stena Lina. The company is thus strengthening its presence on the Baltic Sea and in climate-neutral shipping.
The ferry operator Stena Line is expanding its presence on the Baltic Sea: in future, the Wasaline, which operates between Umeå and Vaasa, will also be part of the company’s portfolio. The new connection brings the number of Stena’s Baltic Sea routes to five.
“It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm that we at Stena Line take responsibility for Wasaline and the route between the two important regions and cities of Umeå and Vaasa,” says Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line. This is the only existing ferry connection between the cities. It is operated by the joint venture Kvarken Link, which is owned equally by Umeå and Vasaa. The company in turn owns NCL Ferry, which operates under the name Wasaline. Stena Line will take over the operation of Wasaline in future. The ship “Aurora Botnia”, which sails the route, will remain in the ownership of Kvarken Link.
“It is of strategic importance to maintain the ferry operation between Vaasa and Umeå and secure its future growth,” said Peter Ståhlberg, CEO of Wasaline. “We look forward to continuing our work to improve environmental and operational efficiency together with Stena Line. Wasaline’s employees, both on land and on board, will continue to provide the high level of service we are accustomed to. This will provide an important boost for the region and create significant positive synergies.”
Climate-neutral ferry route
Wasaline claims to be the first shipping company in the Baltic region to achieve climate neutrality. This is based on a biogas supply contract with the energy company Gasum and a pooling agreement for FuelEU with Stena Line that was already active before the takeover. The Umeå-Vaasa route is thus the first green shipping corridor between two nations.
The “Aurora Botnia” (3,500 dwt) is powered by dual-fuel engines and battery systems. In January 2026, the capacity is to be significantly expanded as part of a conversion: At 12.6 MWh, it will have the largest battery capacity of any RoPax vessel in the world.
“With the Wasaline, we are not only getting a ship that is equipped with state-of-the-art environmental technology and can regularly operate CO₂-neutrally, but we are also improving our access to alternative fuels. In addition, we are gaining an important intermodal transport connection to Gothenburg and Trelleborg and onwards to mainland Europe,” says Stena Line CEO Mårtensson.
The takeover is subject to the approval of the respective municipal councils of Umeå and Vaasa, which is expected to take place in November 2025. Closing is expected to take place in early 2026.
Stena Line operates a total of 20 ferry routes in Europe. On the Baltic Sea, these are the connections between Trelleborg and Rostock, Karlskrona and Gdynia, Ventspils and Travemünde and Nynäshamn and Liepaja. With the new Umeå-Vaasa connection, Stena Line will be offering its fifth Baltic Sea route. Stena Line also operates several ports in the region.
