Viking Line is set to reduce emissions on its Turku-Stockholm route by 90% as it transitions to using liquefied biogas (LBG) – also called BioLNG – for the first time over an entire week.
Beginning on Baltic Sea Day, August 29th, and continuing through September 4th, the vessels Viking Glory and Viking Grace will operate solely on BioLNG, establishing the Baltic Sea’s first green shipping corridor.
This shift from liquefied natural gas (LNG) to BioLNG is expected to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by approximately 2,600 tonnes, a reduction equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of 270 Finns.
Labelling the event as an ‘historic moment’, Dani Lindberg, Sustainability Manager at Viking Line, said, “We have invested €450m ($495m) 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 the past year, Viking Line has allowed passengers, conference attendees and cargo customers to offset their travel emissions by purchasing biofuel equivalent to the fuel used for their journey.
“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. The number of trips using biofuel increased 500% immediately when we highlighted the option earlier in our booking system.”
This initiative reduces emissions by 90% per passenger or cargo unit. Typically, the Turku route vessels operate on LNG, which already offers lower nitrogen oxide emissions compared to the heavy fuel oil traditionally used in maritime transport. Both LNG and BioLNG produce minimal sulphur and particle emissions.
Produced in Europe, the biogas used by Viking Line is supplied by Gasum, which sources the fuel from food and agricultural waste.
“We have already operated Viking Grace using biogas on our Turku route, and passengers and cargo customers on Viking Glory and Viking Grace also already have the option to purchase biogas when they book their trip to offset the fuel used for their own travel and thus reduce the emissions for their trip by up to 90 per cent,” said Lindberg.
“Now, for the first time, we are operating for a whole week using only biogas, which is unique. There is still limited access to renewable fuels, and the price for such fuels is at least twice as high compared to LNG. It is important to create demand in order for supply to rise and the price to fall.”
BioLNG for maritime and heavy transport
BioLNG is increasingly being adopted by companies and industries focused on reducing carbon emissions, particularly in sectors such as transportation and shipping.
Finnish shipping company Wasaline also uses BioLNG for its ferry, Aurora Botnia, and several Norwegian maritime companies, including those operating along coastal routes, have begun to integrate the fuel as part of their fuel mix.
Scania and Volvo have reportedly achieved a reduction of up to 90% in CO2 emissions compared to diesel engines, depending on the source of the biogas.
To support a growing fleet of heavy-duty vehicles in Nordic countries, Gasum has built a network of over 50 BioLNG refuelling stations.
The company produced around 4,000 GWh (gigawatt-hours) of biogas in 2022, a significant portion of which is upgraded to BioLNG for transport and industrial use.
The Nordic region is leading the adoption of BioLNG, with countries like Sweden and Finland actively promoting the use of biogas in both the transport and maritime sectors.
As part of the European Green Deal, there is a target to increase the share of renewable gases, including BioLNG, in the EU’s energy mix to 11% by 2030.
