He was born in Kristianstad as a son of Jonas Aspelin (1811-1882) and Catharina Charlotta Björklund (1817-1891). In 1883 he married Elisa Holmboe (1865–1926), a daughter of Jens Anton Holmboe (1828-1892) and Karen Dorothea Biørn (1830-1870). His wife was a granddaughter of Leonhard Christian Borchgrevink Holmboe, half-sister of Carl Fredrik Holmboe and first cousin of Cornelius Holmboe.
Aspelin studied at Filipstads Bergskola from 1876 to 1877. From 1878 he worked as engineer at Lesjöfors Bruk, and represented the company in Christiania from 1881. After settling in Christiania he founded a trade company which came to be one of Norway"s largest companies in the construction business.
The company imported iron and steel products from Swedish producers.
Aspelin obtained Norwegian citizenship in 1888. In 1907 he became the first Swedish consul in Kristiania, and was appoined Consul General from 1911.
His company merged with Stormbull in 1978 to form Aspelin-Stormbull. He was the first chairman of the board of Svenska Kyrkoföreningen.
He was a freemason.
