Finnlines' First New Hybrid RoRo Launched
Finnlines’ first of three new hybrid ro-ro vessels was launched at the Nanjing Jinling Shipyard in China on Monday. The vessel, Finneco I, will start sailing on the Finnish shipping company’s Biscay–North Sea–Baltic Sea service at the turn of the year. The series’ second and third vessels, Finneco II and Finneco III, will be delivered in 2022.
The new vessels are 238 meters long with a cargo capacity of 5,800 lane meters. Additionally, car decks have a capacity of 5,800 square meters and about 520 TEU on the weather deck. Consequently, each of the new 17,400 dwt vessels can carry about 300 trailers, 150 cars and 500 sea containers per sailing, a 38% cargo capacity increase compared to Finnlines’ current largest Breeze series ro-ro vessels.
The ships include several energy-saving solutions, including lithium-ion battery systems that allow zero-emissions port visits, as well as modern two-stroke engines, emissions abatement systems, solar panels and an innovative air lubrication system to cut emissions even further.
The new ro-ro vessels are a part of Finnlines’ ongoing €500 million ($604 million) newbuilding program, which includes two eco-efficient ro-pax vessels in addition to the three hybrid ro-ro vessels.
“The significant investment program is in line with our strategy. We are constantly renewing and developing our fleet and the upcoming hybrid ro-ros as well as eco-efficient Superstar ro-paxes are a next step in the evolution of Finnlines’ fleet,” said Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of Finnlines, a Grimaldi Group subsidiary. “These new vessels will increase our cargo and passenger capacity significantly. Together with our connections we can meet the needs of our customers better. Our eco-sustainable new vessels will serve our customers, and communities where we operate, long into the future. More than ever, our economies rely on dependable transport links and we are committed to ensure vital sea freight operations in a sustainable way.”
The three hybrid ro-ro vessels will be the highest Finnish / Swedish ice class 1A Super, and they will operate under the Finnish flag, which is highly significant in terms of Finnish sea personnel and Finland’s security of supply, Finnlines said. In total, 20 of the company’ vessels will be sailing under the Finnish flag after the new ships have started in operation, each helping to ensure the supply of goods to Finland and provide regular sea connections from Finland to Sweden, Continental Europe and Great Britain.