Stena Line, the Municipality of Frederikshavn, and the Port of Frederikshavn have agreed to make Frederikshavn-Gothenburg the world's first fossil fuel-free ferry service of its kind.

Specifically, Stena Line will deploy two battery-powered Stena Elektra ferries (by 2030) while the Danish partners - the necessary charging infrastructure.

"Our ambition is to lead the development towards fossil fuel-free shipping and sustainable transport at sea. That is why we are investing in new technologies and various alternative fuels. We are already ten years ahead of the international shipping industry's target for reducing carbon dioxide emissions, but with Stena Elektras we are taking another big step on Stena Line's sustainable journey, on the road to a completely fossil fuel-free operation," Stena Line's CEO Niclas Mårtensson (who is also a Member of the Swedish Government's Commission for Electrification), said.

Mikkel Seedorff Sørensen, CEO, the Port of Frederikshavn, added, "The Port of Frederikshavn shares the high and green ambitions that make this project possible. The city has also shown that it has a unique capacity for change in its DNA, which is evident not least in its sustainability work. When we are now taking steps towards making the Gothenburg-Frederikshavn line completely independent of fossil fuels is not only positive for us, but for the entire Kattegat region."

Birgit Hansen, Frederikshavn Municipality's Municipal Council's Chair, also commented, "Stena Elektra is a fantastic project for Frederikshavn. We know from experience that when the municipality leads the way, the business community as well as private individuals follow in our green footsteps. Our town and Stena Line have had a close relationship for a long time, but this ambitious agreement is not only important for us - it also has ripple effects throughout Denmark."

The Stena Elektras will be approximately 200 m-long, offering 3,000 lane metres of cargo capacity and room for 1,000 passengers across the three-hour-long Frederikshavn-Gothenburg crossing (with one hour turnaround call/charging time).

They will feature around 60-70 MWh battery capacity, requiring a high voltage shore power cable of about 30-40 MW.

Stena Line has already been operating the hybridised Stena Jutlandica across the service in question since 2018. Adding batteries has made it possible to cut CO2 emissions by 1,500t/year.

Earlier, the ferry line has co-created with the Port of Gothenburg and the Volvo and Scania groups the Tranzero Initiative, aimed at reducing the port's carbon footprint by 70% by 2030.

Stena Line plans to cut its carbon emissions by 30% by 2030 towards becoming fully fossil-free by 2050.

Photo: Stena Line/Peter Mild