New Hybrid Ro-pax Vessel Delivered to Finnlines
Finnlines announced it has taken delivery of Finnsirius, the first in a series of two Superstar hybrid freight-passenger (ro-pax) vessels built by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai, China.
The vessel will enter service on Finnlines’ Finland–Sweden (Naantali–Långnäs–Kapellskär) line from September 2023, followed by the series' second vessel, Finncanopus, expected to be delivered by the end of this year.
The two ships—part of Finnlines' €500 million green newbuilding program comprising both ro-pax and ro-ro vessels—are equipped with air lubrication, battery packs, exhaust gas abatement, auto-mooring, waste heat recovery, ballast water treatment and are capable of connecting to shore power. Three new hybrid ro-ro vessels began operating in summer 2022.
The 235.6-meter-long Superstar ro-pax vessels are also the the largest in the Finnlines fleet, offering cargo capacity increases of nearly 24% to 5,200 lane meters and double today’s passenger capacity from 554 to 1,100.
Tom Pippingsköld, president and CEO of Finnlines, said, “Finnlines’ Green Newbuilding Program has been a massive investment which will benefit our freight customers and private passengers. These hybrid ro-pax vessels are not only the largest in the company fleet so far, but they transport cargo in a more sustainable manner. For example, the vessels have been equipped with enormous high-powered battery banks and onshore power supply in order to have zero emissions while at port. In addition, port operations will also be more efficient with auto-mooring.”
Antonio Raimo, line manager at Finnlines, said, “Finnlines is proud to introduce the first Superstar and Finnsirius will be Finnlines’ flagship in both size and technology. As the Superstar ro-pax vessels enter the traffic, we will further increase economies of scale to support new business development and opportunities for our freight customers. In addition, we will be able to offer upgraded services for passengers, including several themed restaurants, a wide range of cabin categories, meeting rooms, a large shop, lounges, to name a few.”
Finnsirius
Ice class: 1 A Super
Length, overall: 235.6 m
Breadth, molded: 33.3 m
Gross tonnage: 65,692
Deadweight: 11,980
Lane meters: 5,200
Design speed: 16.3 / 21.0 knots
Engine output: 4 x 7,200 kW
Flag: Finland
Passengers: 1,100
Passenger cabins: 323