EMEA News
Valio and Viking Line Team Up to Decarbonise Milk Product Transport
Finnish dairy producer Valio has partnered with shipping company Viking Line to transport its milk and dairy products across the Gulf of Finland using vessels powered by bio-LNG.
The initiative aims to cut maritime emissions by around 90% and supports Valio's goal of achieving a fully carbon-neutral milk chain by 2035, Viking Line said in an emailed statement on Thursday.
Since early May, Valio's goods have been shipped from Finland's Turku to Sweden's Stockholm aboard Viking Glory and Viking Grace, powered by bio-LNG.
Valio aims to shift the entire transport chain for exports to Sweden to be fossil-free, including both road and sea.
"We can now proudly announce that our goods transports - both by lorry and by ship - are completely fossil-free," Anette Björnlund, sustainability manager at Valio Sweden, said.
"This is one step towards our goal of achieving a totally carbon-neutral milk chain by 2035."
The move aligns with the broader development of a green shipping corridor between Turku and Stockholm.
Ship & Bunker reported in April 2024 that Viking Line intends to make regular bio-LNG purchases for two of its vessels.
These vessels are equipped with dual-fuel LNG engines and can operate on cleaner LNG variants such as bio-LNG and bio-methane.
"Fossil-free maritime transport is still rare – globally, it accounts for only about 0.1 per cent of maritime traffic," Harri Tamminen, freight director at Viking Line, said.
"However, maritime transport's green transition is possible here and now, which is demonstrated by choosing fossil-free maritime transport on our vessels."
Other companies, including Norway's Orkla ASA, are also making the switch, highlighting growing momentum behind low-emission shipping solutions in the Baltic Sea region.
