The crossing will remain operational until 20 October 2023, after which the company will find new employment for the ro-paxes Urd and Stena Gothica (each offering room for 186 passengers and 1,598 lane metres for cargo).

"Due to the development of the current geopolitical situation, the previous volumes have been reduced, and services on the market have become saturated. As a result, the demand from Stena Lines trade customers on the route has not developed as expected," the Swedish shipping company wrote in a press release.

Stena Line also says that the Finnish government's decision to grant an exemption from the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) from 1 January 2024 for vessels trading via the Åland Islands will also create an uneven commercial landscape with a clear advantage for that trade lane.

"It is with a heavy heart that we have reached the point where we have to discontinue our route between Sweden and Finland. This has been a very difficult decision, but after considering all aspects, we are convinced that we have made the right decision," Johan Edelman, Trade Director Baltic Sea North, Stena Line, commented.

Urd and Stena Gothica will be redeployed within Stena Line's network or put up for charter.

The Hanko-Norvik was launched at the beginning of 2022.

Photo: Stena Line