Finnish dry bulk shipping company ESL Shipping has recently received a 25,600dwt LNG-fueled bulk carrier named Haaga.

Thanks to the innovative technologies incorporated in the vessel's design, the 160-meter vessel has had its carbon dioxide footprint cut by 50% when compared with the previous generation of vessels.

"The vessel can also be fueled by completely carbon-free biogas, once the availability of carbon-free biogas improves over time,” ESL Shipping said.

Haaga also incorporates an autonomous cargo processing solution aimed at improving safety and efficiency. The solution was developed by ESL Shipping and MacGregor, part of Cargotec.

The vessel will have raw material cargo while arriving from Japan to the Baltic Sea, where it is scheduled to arrive in mid-September.

"This investment of around EUR 60 million is significant for a company of Aspo's size. It's also an excellent example of our responsible ownership, as environmental responsibility involves considering future generations, too. The design and construction of the new vessels were completed as planned. The vessels will considerably increase ESL Shipping's capacity, in addition to improving its profitability," says Aki Ojanen, CEO of Aspo Plc and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ESL Shipping.

The ship is part of the Bothnia Bulk project, partly funded by the EU. Its goal is to modernize the sea route between Luleå, Oxelösund and Raahe to be more eco-friendly.

The vessels from the project have been designed by Deltamarin in Finland, and European equipment suppliers have provided roughly 60 percent of all vessel systems.