Stena Acquires Northernmost Shipping Company, Finland to Sweden Wasaline

Stena Line, which is one of Europe’s largest ferry lines, has agreed to acquire the operations of Wasaline as part of a plan to enhance operations on what is billed as the northernmost shipping company in the world. While there had been service for more than 50 years on the route, the cities in Sweden and Finland had maintained the service for the past 12 years as a means of continuing trade operations.

Faced with the prospects of the service coming to an end, the City of Vaasa, Sweden, and Umeå, Finland, acquired rights to the route in 2012 and set up a company, Kvarken Link, to maintain the service. Kvarken established NLC Ferry, which operates under the trade name of Wasaline, operating ferry service between the two cities.

“We are very proud of how brave we were, in both the City of Vaasa and Umeå Municipality, when we decided that the ferry connection across the Kvarken was essential,” Frans Villanen, Chair of the City Council of Vaasa. “The growing number of passengers and freight volumes each year shows that it was the right decision. Now, it is time to bring in a larger operator with the knowledge, expertise, and resources that the cities themselves do not possess. We are very pleased to have found a shared vision with Stena Line.”

Since launching the service in 2013, the city-owned company has also successfully launched a revolutionary hybrid ferry, Aurora Botnia (24,300 gross tons). Introduced in 2021, the ferry can handle up to 935 passengers and has two cargo decks with a total of 1,500 lane meters for cars and trucks. The ferry has been adapted and now is operating on biogas and batteries, making the route the first international green shipping corridor.

“Together with the City of Vaasa, we have strengthened the connections across the Kvarken and proven that the service is profitable,” said Hans Lindberg, Chair of the Municipal Executive Board, Umeå Municipality. “This has happened during a turbulent time when infrastructure, civil defense, and preparedness have become more relevant than ever.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Stena Line will acquire NLC Ferry. It will maintain the operation of Wasaline, although Kvarken Line, the company jointly owned by the two cities, will continue to own the vessel.

Stena says it recognizes the economic importance of the ferry operation and is committed to continuing to grow the operation.

“With Wasaline, we not only gain a vessel equipped with the latest environmental technology and capable of sailing CO?-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,” said Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line.

The two municipal councils must approve the deal, which is expected to take place in November. The closing is expected to take place at the beginning of 2026.