Eckerö Lines MS Finlandia to be the first partly electrified passenger ship on the Gulf of Finland

Eckerö Line, which operates the Helsinki-Tallinn route, saw positive developments in both passenger volume and freight business during January–September 2025. The company takes a significant step towards electrifying its business when investing in a battery solution for MS Finlandia to reduce carbon dioxide emission. A long-term goal for the Eckerö Group is fully electric shipping. In addition, Eckerö Line will renovate the interior spaces of both ships in many ways in the near future and thus increase passenger comfort.

In January–September 2025, Eckerö Line increased its passenger volume by more than 3% compared to the same time in 2024. In January–September, Eckerö Line transported a total of over 1.6 million passengers. According to passenger volumes, MS Finlandia continues to be the most popular ship on the Helsinki–Tallinn route.

The company's freight market share continued to grow and in January–September 2025 the market share was almost 46% (38% in January–September 2024).

Already 60% of the cargo transported by Eckerö Line goes via the Port of Vuosaari to Muuga in Tallinn, avoiding congestions in the city centre areas of both Helsinki and Tallinn. Year after year, the route Vuosaari–Muuga has continued to grow in popularity.

In the future MS Finlandia will be partially powered by electricity

According to the Eckerö Group, the most efficient way to reduce shipping emissions is to electrify the ships step by step.

“As a Group we are building green shipping corridors, which are zero-emissions or almost emission free routes between Finland, Sweden and Estonia, utilising as short and natural routes as possible. Eckerö Line of our Group companies is particularly responsible for this on the Helsinki–Tallinn route. The battery installation on MS Finlandia in January 2026 is for us a major investment in more sustainable shipping. Our goal is to fully transition to electric shipping in the future.”, says the Rederi Ab Eckerö Group CEO Björn Blomqvist.

“As a result of the battery installation, MS Finlandia will become the first hybrid ship on the Gulf of Finland. It utilises battery power when entering and leaving port and during harbour time. The targeted fuel reduction is about 3%, which is approx. 500–600 tons less fuel per year in the future. At the same time our greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. This is the beginning of our journey towards a fully electric and sustainable shipping”, says Eckerö Line CEO Taru Keronen.

Eckerö Line is renewing its ships to provide an excellent customer experience

In addition to the electrification of MS Finlandia, Eckerö Line will renovate both MS Finlandia and MS Finbo Cargo in many ways during the coming months. The renewals reflect the company's commitment to providing passengers with an excellent customer experience.

On MS Finlandia, passenger areas will be significantly expanded. By Easter 2026, a brand-new seating area, Horizon Seats with 150 seats will open on deck 9, where you can reserve a seat with a sea view. The peaceful setting also makes it a suitable space for work during your trip. Restaurant services are also improving. The buffet serving lines at Buffet Eckerö are renewed. The aim is to make the customer experience smoother than before by adding new entry points. The food product is developed as well, to take into account the wishes of different customer segments. At the two-storey Bistro & Cafeteria Satama, customer seating will increase significantly, with the expanded upper floor adding approximately 150 new seats.

On MS Finbo Cargo, the general customer areas will be renovated in December–January, for a more modern and spacious environment. Our customers have wished for a better in-store selection, and this is now possible to implement. The kiosk near the Information desk will, together with the Info desk, move to a new store space under construction next to the bar. Since the different service types are located close together, opening hours can be extended to better meet customer needs. The new spatial solutions also provide diners with a wider range of seating options.

“We have listened to our customers' wishes and are happy we can deliver. In the future, we will offer even more comfortable and relaxed trips, but we will of course stick to our familiar strengths, such as high-quality food produced locally and prepared on board, changing buffet themes, and continuous reduction of food waste”, says Taru Keronen.

Rederi Ab Eckerö Group

The Group's revenue for January–September was €181.1 million, which is 5% more than during the corresponding period in 2024 (€171.7 million). The Group’s operating profit for the period January–September was €21.6 million (€20.3 million).

The Eckerö Group continues investing in sustainable and efficient shipping and acquired in July Rederi Ab Fjärdvägen, which operates the route Långnäs–Naantali. The acquisition gave the Group the missing connection between mainland Finland and Åland. In October the Group acquired MS Sailor to replace MS Fjärdvägen on the route. The business is named Eckerö Link.

The acquisition of MS Sailor enables Eckerö Link to offer increased capacity, improved energy efficiency, and potential for future development in both freight and passenger traffic.