Construction of Finnlines 3rd ro-pax begins

Finneco III, the third hybrid ro-ro vessel in a series, was launched in China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Jiangsu) in China on Monday, said a press release.

The Finneco series vessels will be 238 metres long with a cargo capacity of 5,800 lane metres. Compared to the Company’s largest ro-ro vessels today, cargo capacity increases by nearly 40%.

When entering the Finnlines traffic, the new vessels will reduce environmental impact of the fleet and improve energy efficiency. Lithium-ion battery systems will allow zero-emission port visits and low-emission two-stroke engines, emission abatement systems, solar panels and an innovative air lubrication system will cut emissions further, the press release added.

Finnlines’ EUR 500 million Newbuilding Programme includes three hybrid ro-ro vessels and two eco-sustainable Superstar ro-pax vessels.

The hybrid ro-ro vessels will start in Finnlines’ Baltic, North Sea and Biscay traffic in 2022 and Superstar ro-pax vessels in the Naantali–Långnäs–Kapellskär route in 2023.

“Our ambitious strategy to expand services is a response to growing demand. We will bring a total of five new vessels to traffic over the next few years, which will increase our cargo and passenger capacity significantly. We are improving our performance while at the same time reducing the environmental impact of our fleet. The hybrid vessels will be among the most innovative and efficient ships in the world and are part of the investments we make in the responsible and sustainable operations of our fleet,” said Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of Finnlines.