South Enabler strengthens Turku liner traffic to Europe
Wallenius Sol, a cargo shipping company operating from the port of Turku, introduced a brand new vessel to its line in June 2025. Built in Italy, South Enabler is designed to transport larger and more versatile cargo loads, which strengthens the company’s competitiveness in the Baltic Sea region as a specialist in conventional freight and RoRo traffic.
South Enabler is 10 meters longer than its predecessor, M/L Freyja, but roughly the same in terms of other dimensions. The cargo capacity of the vessel is approximately 3,000 lane metres and there is room for a total of 200 vehicles on its dual car deck. If necessary, cargo can also be loaded on to the ship’s weather deck.
More efficient and environmentally friendly chartering
“The biggest differences are found in the vessel equipment. South Enabler has modern stowing equipment, which ensures the efficient and safe handling of heavy and special cargo. The ship also has an ice classification, which facilitates year-round shipping in the Baltic Sea region, even under the harshest winter conditions”, says David Symes, General Manager of WALLENIUS SOL Oy.
Key differences can also be seen in the ecological aspects of the new vessel. A large number of green solutions have been implemented, enabling the vessel to provide more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient transportation.
“South Enabler has two 7,200 kW Wärtsilä hybrid engines. Modern multi-fuel engines are capable of using renewable methanol as fuel when available at reasonable cost. In addition, energy savings have been sought through the design of the vessel hull and the heat recovery system of the engines. With this new, partly future technology, we are already responding to the demands of environmentally conscious customers and taking steps towards carbon-free shipping”, states David Symes.
Regular connections across the Baltic and North Seas
South Enabler operates a portion of the port of Turku’s liner service along the Turku-Bremerhaven-Zeebrugge-Tilbury-Cuxhaven-Paldiski-Turku route. New ports on the route include Tilbury, the UK’s most prominent paper import harbour located near London, and Zeebrugge, one of the largest RoRo ports in the North Sea. As a whole, the route offers regular connections from Turku to the European markets as well as to ocean liner routes. Departures leave from Turku every 10 days.
South Enabler operates under the WALLENIUS SOL flag
In the winter of 2025, WALLENIUS SOL, a Swedish shipping company, acquired the British company Mann Lines and assumed its liner traffic from Turku. WALLENIUS SOL is the leading shipping company in the Gulf of Bothnia, known particularly for its transport of forest industry products.
“The acquisition of Mann Lines strengthens WALLENIUS SOL’s position in its main markets, bringing with it, among other things, a larger fleet and a wider port network from the Baltic countries to Northwestern Europe. The strategic acquisition is beneficial for both current and future customers, offering a wider range of customised logistics solutions for different, emerging needs”, David Symes explains.
Text: Kari Ahonen
Photos: Markku Koivumäki
