Turku, Finland | November 26, 2025 – Aboa Mare, a leading maritime education and training center in Turku, Finland, has successfully completed the development of a highly advanced ship simulator model for Wasaline’s hybrid ferry, Aurora Botnia. This project, a close collaboration initiated in autumn 2024, creates a realistic digital twin designed for specialized training and education, focusing primarily on maximizing the vessel’s unique propulsion system.
Pioneering Training for Hybrid Propulsion
On Tuesday, November 18, Senior Captain Johannes Sjöholm of Wasaline visited Aboa Mare to conduct extensive testing, verifying that the simulator model accurately replicates the Aurora Botnia’s real-world characteristics and complex maneuvering behavior.
“The simulator meets our needs very well when we are going to have simulator exercises,” confirms Captain Sjöholm.
Mastering Complex Dual-Fuel and Battery Modes
The Aurora Botnia is one of the world’s most environmentally sustainable ferries, famously operating carbon-neutrally on the Vaasa (Finland) to Umeå (Sweden) route, utilizing dual-fuel engines (running on biogas/LNG) and a large battery hybrid system. The simulator model is equipped with technical functions corresponding to every operational mode used onboard:
- Pure Gas/Diesel Mode: Operating solely on the main engines.
- Pure Battery Mode: Running exclusively on stored electrical energy.
- Hybrid Mode: Seamlessly combining power from both engines and batteries.
The Critical Role in Energy Efficiency
The primary benefit of this detailed replication is enabling crew members to master optimal energy management—a skill that is crucial for meeting emissions reduction targets like the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII).
“This enables us to train different ways of using the propulsion system to achieve the lowest fuel consumption and minimize emissions to both air and sea,” explains Magnus Winberg, Senior Lecturer at Aboa Mare.
Training in the simulated environment allows officers to practice:
- Peak-Shaving: Using battery power to absorb transient load peaks, allowing the main engines to run at their most efficient, steady-state load.
- Zero-Emission Port Maneuvering: Practicing entering and leaving port areas solely on battery power, eliminating local NOx and SOx emissions.
- Eco-Driving Concepts: Simulating the impact of different propulsion mixes on fuel burn and emissions over the actual Vaasa-Umeå route. Simulator training has been proven to yield significant real-world fuel savings, sometimes up to 13%.
Strengthening Maritime Digitalization and Training
This project marks an important step in the development of modern training tools for the maritime sector. By creating a digital twin of a specific, complex vessel, Aboa Mare and Wasaline are advancing a model for training that is:
- Realistic: Accurately replicating the vessel’s unique handling characteristics, crucial for safety and complex operations in ice-class waters.
- Cost-Effective: Allowing crews to conduct high-risk emergency drills (like propulsion system failures) and complex optimal sailing practices without using real fuel or putting the actual vessel out of service.
Aboa Mare, known for its expertise in IGF Code (for gas-fueled ships) and Polar Code training, strengthens its position as a global leader by integrating such advanced, custom-built, sustainability-focused models into its curriculum.
About Wasaline
Wasaline operates the daily international ferry service between Vaasa, Finland, and Umeå, Sweden, the northernmost year-round route in the world. The company is the first in the Baltic Sea to offer carbon-neutral transportation. Its ferry, the Aurora Botnia, is a hybrid vessel powered by biogas and batteries, showcasing a strong commitment to environmental sustainability and Finnish innovation.
About Aboa Mare
Aboa Mare is a leading maritime education and training center located in Turku, Finland. It offers degree programs and continuing education specializing in IGF and Polar Code courses, Bridge Resource Management (BRM), Engine Room Resource Management (ERM), and sustainability. Aboa Mare uses advanced maritime simulators, which can be customized with tailor-made ship models and sailing areas, and is actively involved in high-quality R&D projects utilizing its simulation expertise.
Source: Aboa Mare