The Finnish shipping line has entrusted the Dutch Royal Bodewes shipyard with the construction of two 6,750 deadweight Ecotraders.
The 105-metre-long, Ice Class 1A vessels will be built in Hoogezand, with delivery planned for January and December 2026.
The pair will sail on biofuel; specifically, on one made from recycled raw material produced by Meriaura's subsidiary VG-Ecofuel.
"This order is a continuum in our series of investments to energy-efficient tonnage that utilizes bio-oil. In the current geopolitical situation, we found it best to order the ships from an established shipyard operating in Western Europe, which is also in line with our ESG strategy. Security of delivery, quality and the yard's ability to comply with safety and environmental regulations, and our good experience with the previous newbuildings were the most important factors in our decision to choose Royal Bodewes as our shipbuilder again," commented Beppe Rosin, CEO of Meriaura.
Jussi Mälkiä, Meriaura's Founder and Chairman, added, "The two ships ordered now will start our newbuilding program that targets to carbon neutrality remarkably faster than IMO's target [in the 2030s vs by/around 2050]. Our purpose is to systematically renew our fleet with a series of newbuildings. The use of bio-oil combined with compensation enables us to reach this ambitious goal we have set."
Rosin also underlined, "The investment is financed by Oma Säästöpankki Turku, LähiTapiola Keskinäinen Vakuutusyhtiö and Climate Fund. We are grateful that Finnish financiers have come along to support the journey of a local shipping company towards carbon-neutral shipping."
Photo: Meriaura