The shipping company will spend €200m on three brand-new ro-ro vessels to be constructed by the Chinese Junling shipyard.
Each of the 238 m-long ships, designed by the Helsingør-based Knud E. Hansen, will offer 5,800 lane metres of cargo capacity, 5,600 m2 of the car deck, and room for around 300 TEU on the weather deck.
In addition, the ro-ros' tank tops and main decks will be shaped with strengthened bulkheads and will have free of pillar areas to accommodate paper loaded using the sto-ro technology.
The vessel will have the highest Finnish/Swedish ice class. Delivery of the new tonnage to Finnlines is expected to begin as of 2020-2021.
The vessels will be equipped with scrubbers in order to sail on heavy fuel oil in emission control areas as well as with lithium-ion batteries to run on electricity while berthed in a port. They'll also have an air lubrication system that will create a layer of bubbles under the keel to lessen friction and hydrodynamic resistance, hence lower fuel consumption.
"These green ro-ro vessels will be built taking all technological and environmental factors into account and thus will increase our energy efficiency further. These vessels will offer us the lowest possible fuel consumption and exhaust emissions and again, is in line with our investments in sustainable development. We are proud that these exceptional technologies on board will make the vessels the most innovative and efficient vessels in the world," Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO, Finnlines, commented.
Vessels of the same design were earlier ordered by the Grimaldi Group, Finnlines' parent company.
Photo: Knud E. Hansen