Stena Line has signed an agreement to acquire NLC Ferry Ab Oy, which operates under the name Wasaline, taking over the ferry route between Umeå in Sweden and Vaasa in Finland.

The ferry connection is currently owned jointly by the two cities through the 50/50-owned company Kvarken Link, which in turn owns NLC Ferry. Under the agreement signed on November 4, Stena Line will acquire NLC Ferry and take over operations, while the vessel Aurora Botnia — which sails the Umeå–Vaasa route — will continue to be owned by Kvarken Link.

"It is with great joy and enthusiasm that we at Stena Line take on the responsibility for Wasaline and the route between two important regions and cities, Umeå and Vaasa," said Niclas Mårtensson, CEO of Stena Line.

The acquisition is subject to approval by the municipal councils of Umeå and Vaasa, expected to take place in November, and is conditional on customary closing conditions including authority approvals. The closing is expected to take place at the beginning of 2026.

Bio-LNG agreements

In July 2025, Wasaline entered into a biogas accord with Gasum and a Fuel EU Maritime pooling agreement with Stena Line, making the Umeå–Vaasa route the first international green shipping corridor.

Wasaline agreed that Gasum would provide only liquefied biogas (bio-LNG) to the Aurora Botnia going forward. The hybrid vessel operates on biogas and batteries.

Peter Ståhlberg, CEO of Wasaline, said: "It is strategically important to ensure that the service between Vaasa and Umeå continues and has the possibility to grow in the future. We look forward to continuing to develop our work on environmental and operational efficiency together with Stena Line."

Mårtensson added: "With Wasaline, we not only gain a vessel equipped with the latest environmental technology and capable of sailing CO₂ 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."

Regional connectivity

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

Frans Villanen, Chair of the City Council of Vaasa, said: "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. The growing number of passengers and freight volumes each year show that it was the right decision."

Stena Line operates 20 routes across Europe with approximately 40 vessels. In the Baltic Sea, the company currently operates routes between Trelleborg–Rostock, Karlskrona–Gdynia, Ventspils–Travemünde, and Nynäshamn–Liepaja. With the addition of Umeå–Vaasa, it will have five Baltic Sea routes.