Keel Laid for Finnlines' First Hybrid RoPax
A keel laying ceremony was held Friday for Finnsirius, the first of two ro-pax vessels being built for Finnlines at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai, China.
Scheduled to enter service in 2023, Finnsirius and its sister vessel Finncanopus will operate on the Finland–Sweden route where Finnlines has sailed since 1997. The ports of call are Naantali in mainland Finland, Långnäs on the Åland Islands and Kapellskär in Sweden.
Each combined passenger-cargo vessel will have capacity for about 300 trucks, 200 cars and 1,100 passengers. The vessels are 235 meters long and they utilize the latest state-of-the art technology.
Lorry drivers, commercial and private passengers will enjoy a peaceful, no-stress sea voyage. The new vessels will have a wider selection of cabins and services, including restaurants, cafés, lounges, a spa and a gym. Drivers have access to their own lounge, sauna and laundry.
“Although we are moving on to a higher service level, the main focus has been on sustainability. Green values have been considered throughout the vessel, from energy generation to lighting management. Onshore power supply and a high-capacity battery pack are examples of how we eliminate local emissions. With the aid of the latest technologies and sustainable innovations, these large vessels are not expected to consume more fuel than the previous generation,” says Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of Finnlines.
The next milestone for the Finnsirius will be launching in August 2022 when keel laying of the other Superstar ro-pax vessel, Finncanopus, is also scheduled to take place.
The two Superstar vessels are part of Finnlines’ EUR 500 million newbuilding program, which also includes three hybrid ro-ro vessels. The ro-pax vessels are expected to be delivered in autumn 2023 whereas the ro-ro vessels will enter Finnlines’ services during 2022.