When Viking Line’s vessels call at the Port of Turku, a hectic hour lies ahead before they once again head out to sea. Ongoing port investments exceeding €200 million, including the construction of the joint Fregatti terminal, are enhancing operational efficiency. Together with Viking Line’s extensive sustainability initiatives, these investments are also helping to bring the green shipping corridor between Turku and Stockholm closer to reality.

The Port of Turku and other stakeholders are investing more than €200 million in the redevelopment of the port area. From 2028 onwards, the new Fregatti terminal will serve up to 8,000 daily passengers embarking and disembarking Viking Glory and Viking Grace. The number of lorries at each departure corresponds to a queue stretching approximately 1.5 kilometres. During the port call of just over an hour, Viking Line’s vessels are refuelled, provisioned and cleaned.

“Not a single minute is wasted while our vessels are in the Port of Turku – and every minute saved during the port call reduces fuel consumption at sea. That is why smooth and efficient port operations are of great importance to us. As the port’s largest customer, we are very pleased that it is being fully modernised to meet both current and future needs,” says Johanna Boijer-Svahnström, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications at Viking Line.

From 2028, both Viking Line and Tallink Silja will operate from the new Fregatti terminal. Replacing the current two separate terminals and vehicle areas will simplify and improve operations in several ways. Viking Line’s future berth S2 will be equipped with automatic mooring systems based on vacuum technology, speeding up both arrivals and departures.

New solutions will improve traffic flow

Each year, around 80,000 lorries and 230,000 passenger cars travel to the Port of Turku. Once the redevelopment is complete, up to 48 parallel vehicle lanes will lead to the quay areas. Access to the port will become clearer thanks to traffic arrangements introduced by the City of Turku and new technology being implemented at the port.

“In the future, passengers will be able to drive into the port where their vehicle is automatically identified and digitally directed to the correct lane. Public transport links will also improve, as the platform for trains serving the port, the bus stop and the future tram connection will all be located directly adjacent to the terminal. The aim is to make access to the port as smooth and straightforward as possible for all users,” says Markku Alahäme, Technical Director at the Port of Turku.

The green corridor at sea will be built through collaboration

Viking Line, the Port of Turku and Ports of Stockholm are working to establish a fossil-free shipping corridor between Turku and Stockholm by 2035.

Viking Line has invested a total of €450 million in climate-smart vessels on the Turku route – Viking Glory and Viking Grace – and currently fuels them with a 50/50 mix of biogas (bio-LNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Both fuels produce very low levels of sulphur and particulate emissions that are harmful to human health. The company is currently conducting a feasibility study on installing batteries on the vessels.

“It is no exaggeration to say that Turku is at the forefront globally in reducing emissions from shipping. Thanks to our investments in the Turku vessels, we can already offer a fully fossil-free alternative to all our passengers and freight customers. The redevelopment of the port helps the green shipping corridor take a major step forward. As traffic flow to the port improves and vehicle decks can be loaded more efficiently, emissions generated both on the city’s transport routes and in the port area are reduced,” says Johanna Boijer-Svahnström.

Several sustainable solutions have also been incorporated into the terminal building itself. The building will use fossil-free district heating and cooling as well as carbon-neutral electricity. The goal is to achieve a high rating in the Rakennustieto environmental classification system.