Wasaline to retrofit Aurora Botnia with major battery upgrade
Die 150 m lange und 26 m breite LNG-Fähre "Aurora Botnia" verfügt über zwei Ladedecks mit 1500 Fahrspurmetern für Lastwagen und Autos (Foto: Wasaline)
Finnish operator Wasaline has selected BLRT Repair Yards to retrofit its flagship hybrid ferry Aurora Botnia with a significant increase in battery capacity. The work will be carried out in Tallinn later this year, with the vessel due to return to service in January 2026.
The project centres on installing a 10.4MWh lithium iron phosphate battery system supplied by AYK Energy. Once completed, Aurora Botnia will have a total battery capacity of 12.6MWh, the largest of any RoPax ferry. According to Wasaline, the upgrade will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 23% and reduce fossil energy consumption by approximately 10GWh annually.
Foreship, a naval architecture and engineering consultancy, has been contracted to provide technical and strategic support.
Built in 2021 at Rauma Marine Constructions, Aurora Botnia was designed to help Wasaline achieve its target of fully carbon-neutral operations by 2030. The ferry is equipped with dual-fuel engines capable of running on LNG and biogas, alongside electric-powered azimuth thrusters.
During its first year of service, Wasaline reported a reduction of 51.8% in total CO2 emissions. More recently, the company agreed to use only liquefied biogas on its Baltic Sea route in collaboration with Gasum and Stena Line.
