Turku–Stockholm Green Shipping Corridor among the global front-runners
The Turku–Stockholm Green Shipping Corridor is one of the few routes where ambitious goals have already translated into concrete action. This is highlighted in the newly published Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors 2025, which tracks the global development of green maritime transport corridors.
In February 2024, the Ports of Turku and Stockholm together with Viking Line signed a cooperation agreement to develop a green maritime corridor between the two cities. The aim is to achieve a fully fossil-free and carbon‑neutral corridor by 2035, making it one of the Green Shipping Corridors defined under the Clydebank Declaration. The route was chosen as a pilot due to its high traffic volumes and its location in an environmentally sensitive archipelago. The cooperation provides a platform for solutions that can progressively reduce emissions and promote sustainable maritime transport.
Of the 84 global initiatives identified in the report, only four have so far reached the so‑called implementation stage, in which emission‑reducing measures are deployed in regular operations. Two of these are located in the Baltic Sea region, including the Turku–Stockholm route, which is regarded as one of the most advanced internationally.
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Originally published on 16 Dec
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The Finnish Hydrogen Cluster and the Dutch NLHydrogen have signed a cooperation agreement to promote collaboration among hydrogen stakeholders in both countries. Finland and the Netherlands share common interests in developing the hydrogen economy.
The Finnish Hydrogen Cluster, representing more than 80 companies and organizations, and NLHydrogen, encompassing 50 companies across the Dutch hydrogen value chain, will collaborate to accelerate the development of the hydrogen economy, supported by the local governments and Business Finland. The goal is to combine the strengths of the Finnish and Dutch hydrogen communities to jointly build a sustainable hydrogen value chain, strengthen energy security, and contribute to Europe’s climate goals.
The organizations signed the cooperation agreement during the Business Forum event in the presence of Ulkomaankauppa- ja kehitysministeri , Ville Tavio, and Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Aukje de Vries. Both Finland and the Netherlands have advanced energy and transport infrastructure, strong industrial clusters, and innovation-driven ecosystems. Both countries also recognize the benefits of developing a European wide hydrogen economy.
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Originally published on 12 Dec
GASCADE Gastransport GmbH (GASCADE) has reached a decisive milestone in building the German hydrogen network: about 400 kilometers of existing natural gas pipelines have been successfully converted to transport hydrogen. The initial filling of the first pipeline sections as part of the program Flow – making hydrogen happen establishes a North-South axis from the Baltic Sea region to Saxony-Anhalt, forming a central part of the German hydrogen core network. The hydrogen infrastructure is now available to the market and thus provides the basis for a successful hydrogen ramp-up.
This internationally unique project demonstrates how existing infrastructure can be quickly and cost-effectively transformed for hydrogen transport. GASCADE thereby creates planning security for the hydrogen ramp-up and makes a significant contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions in German industry. Managing Director Ulrich Benterbusch emphasizes the technical dimension and resulting opportunities: “With the successful conversion of 400 kilometers of pipeline, we reliably provide large-scale and central hydrogen infrastructure. Converting existing natural gas pipelines with a diameter of 1.4 meters to hydrogen is a technical pioneering achievement. This project is a strong signal for the German hydrogen economy and the industrial location of Eastern Germany.”
Managing Director Christoph von dem Bussche highlights the potential and the European perspective: Flow – making hydrogen happen is more than a technical project. It is a promise for the future. In 2025 we are creating the conditions to receive hydrogen from the European Baltic Sea region, international hydrogen imports via the port of Rostock, as well as green hydrogen produced on the Baltic coast – especially at the Lubmin site. From the get-go, we are considering the connection to our European neighbors. Because only together can we succeed in building a strong cross-border hydrogen economy.”
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Originally published on 11 Dec
DEME has been awarded three contracts for the installation of monopile foundations, inter-array cables, and the export cable at the BC-Wind offshore wind farm in Poland. These new contracts position DEME as a key contributor to Poland’s renewable energy build-out, supporting the country’s energy transition.
BC-Wind, developed by international offshore wind company Ocean Winds, a 50-50 joint venture between EDP Renewables and ENGIE, is located approximately 23 km off the Polish Baltic Sea coast. With a planned capacity of up to 390 MW, the wind farm will generate clean electricity for around 500,000 households per year.
DEME will deploy its offshore installation vessel Orion to install 27 monopile foundations: 26 monopiles for the wind turbines and 1 foundation for the offshore substation (OSS). Equipped with a motion-compensated pile gripper, a 5,000-ton crane and advanced ballasting systems, Orion is designed to handle the largest foundations with precision and efficiency, even in challenging conditions.
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Originally published on 10 Dec
Latvia is preparing for another significant step in the modernisation of its rail transport. Autotransporta direkcija (ATD) announces that Škoda Group has been awarded with the contract to supply up to 16 battery electric multiple units (BEMUs) for regional transport.
The value of the contract comprising of the base delivery of nine trains, an option for seven additional vehicles, spare parts and training is nearly EUR 160 million. The first vehicles are scheduled to be deployed in the first half of 2029. Following the successful launch of battery trains in the Czech Republic at the turn of 2024 and 2025 and the signing of a contract for up to 36 battery trains for Slovakia, this is another order for the Škoda Group for this type of vehicle.
The units will also be the first Škoda Group battery-powered vehicles designed for a 1,520 mm gauge. They represent the next evolution of the successful platform of single-deck regional trains developed for the Baltic markets. The project is financed by the state budget of Latvia and EU Cohesion Funds, which are supporting the development of modern zero-emission mobility in Latvia.
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Originally published on 11 Dec
A new biogas plant is set to be completed in spring 2026 in the village of Tahula on Estonia’s largest island, Saaremaa. The facility’s purpose goes beyond renewable energy production: it aims to make better use of local resources and reduce reliance on imported energy. The Estonian Islands Energy Agency has played a significant role in preparing and developing the project, supporting the transition toward cleaner and more stable energy use across Estonian islands.
The Tahula biogas plant will use by-products from Saaremaa’s agricultural enterprises. These organic residues will be converted into biogas and further refined into biomethane. The resulting fuel can be used in transportation, industry, and district heating, thereby reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels.
A valuable by-product of the process is digestate ̶ a nutrient-rich material that farmers can use as fertilizer, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizers and helping maintain soil health.
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Originally published on 11 Dec
The government is promoting the construction of bio-based carbon dioxide capture capacity with a total of €90 million. On December 11, 2025, the Government issued a decree on the terms and conditions for grants to promote carbon capture in 2026–2032.
Government launches €90 million call for proposals for bio-based CO₂ capture projects
“Finland has a huge competitive advantage. We have clean electricity and bio-based carbon dioxide available for investments that will enable us to break away from our dependence on fossil fuels. The government wants to promote the advancement of these technologies, which strengthen self-sufficiency and reduce emissions. As the geopolitical situation becomes more tense, there is an increasing need for these dependency-reducing solutions and investments, and they should be seen as part of our preparedness,” says Minister of the Environment and Climate Sari Multala.
The grant, which will be available for application in January, will support the first biogenic carbon dioxide capture solutions and their scaling up to industrial scale, as well as accelerate the market-driven advancement of similar solutions. Support may be granted for investments related to biogenic carbon dioxide capture if the captured carbon dioxide is permanently stored (BECCS) or utilised in products (BECCU). In Finland, there is considerable potential for technical sinks and the utilisation of biogenic carbon dioxide.
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Originally published on 11 Dec
ALEX Kaunas Innovation Park has welcomed its first greenfield investor – Teltonika, one of the strongest high-tech group of companies in Lithuania, is strengthening its presence in Kaunas. The company has chosen Kaunas as a new destination for its strategic growth. A conclusion of an investor agreement has been followed by Teltonika’s application for lease of a 4-hectare site.
It’s official: the first greenfield investor at ALEX Kaunas Innovation Park becomes Teltonika – a leading Lithuanian technology group, known worldwide for developing and manufacturing cutting-edge B2B Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. The Lithuanian-owned company, known for its industrial networking equipment, telematics solutions, EV charging stations, and telemedicine devices, is planning to open a new Technology Centre in Kaunas and has already taken steps to lease a 4-hectare site for the project.
“Teltonika has been operating in Kaunas for more than 20 years, and during this time we’ve built a strong and globally recognised business niche in networking equipment. With a talented team of engineers and a supportive environment for growth, we are ready for a major step forward – investing over EUR 34 million into a 15,500 m² technology centre that will become a hub of modern laboratories, automated production lines, and spaces for developing new innovations,” – says Arvydas Paukštys, founder of the Teltonika group.
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Originally published on 10 Dec
On 10 December, the Supervision Committee of Latvijas Banka issued a licence to Nexdesk SIA for the provision of crypto-asset services.
The company is entitled to provide the following crypto-asset services:
- providing custody and administration of crypto-assets on behalf of customers,
- executing orders for crypto-assets on behalf of customers,
- transferring services for crypto-assets on behalf of customers.
Nexdesk SIA plans to provide its services both in Latvia and in other European Union (EU) countries.
Nexdesk SIA is the second crypto-asset service provider to receive a licence in Latvia in accordance with the requirements established in the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). Along with the entry into force of the MiCA Regulation, a unified legal framework for the crypto-asset sector, including the requirement for crypto-asset service providers to obtain authorisation, has been introduced in the EU. Upon obtaining authorisation in one EU country, a crypto-asset service provider may provide services throughout the entire EU in accordance with the mechanism for notifying cross-border activities.
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Originally published on 11 Dec
Fazer Latvija is part of the international “Fazer” Group, founded in 1891 in Finland. The concern specializes in the production of bread, sweets, and other cereal and plant-based products. Over the years, Fazer has expanded its operations to eight countries, including Latvia, and now exports its products to roughly 40 world markets. Fazer Latvija is one of the largest bakeries in the country: the Ogre factory supplies bread and other products not only to Latvia, but also to Estonia, Lithuania, and Finland. The group’s trust in Latvia is also evident in its large-scale investments: last year they reached 18 million euros, and additional improvements of more than one million euros are planned for next year.
The past year marked a turning point for the Fazer structural unit in Latvia. The company made a strategic decision to merge its Baltic bread factories and concentrate production in one location – the Ogre region. Until now, production had taken place both in Latvia and Kaunas, but a detailed analysis showed that modernizing and consolidating production in Latvia would deliver greater long-term benefits.
With the implementation of this plan, total investments in Latvia reached 18 million euros. These funds were used to modernize and expand the production building, install three new production and assembly lines, and build a new warehouse. Although the modernization and automation of the factory on a Baltic scale generally meant a decrease in the number of employees, Latvia was an exception – around 60 new jobs were created at the Ogre factory during the project. As a result, the total number of employees at “Fazer” bread and confectionery factories in Latvia now exceeds 300.
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Originally published on 8 Dec
IQM Quantum Computers, a global leader in superconducting quantum computers, has opened a new R&D office in Oulu, the tech hub of northern Finland, as part of its efforts to develop advanced quantum chips for error-corrected quantum computers.
The move represents a strategic investment for IQM, complementing the company’s production and cleanroom facilities and assembly line in Espoo and quantum data centre in Munich, Germany.
In addition, the new office reflects IQM’s continuing commitment to building quantum ecosystems in major tech hubs and supporting research innovation and development activities.
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Originally published on 10 Dec