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Velkua route - Kaita - 21.09.2022 15:05
Commuter ferry Kaita operates starting from 22.9.2022 to a temporary pier due to renovation work of the pier area.
Additional information directly from the commuter ferry.
Minister Tuppurainen christens Finferries’s newest eco-friendly Altera ferry
Finferries’s newbuilding, the battery-hybrid ferry Altera, was christened today, 14 September 2022, at Pakkahuoneenlaituri in Helsinki. The christening was attended by invited guests and the media. The traditional christening of the vessel was carried out by the godmother of the ship Tytti Tuppurainen, the Finnish Minister for European Affairs and Ownership Steering.
“It is an honour for us to have Tytti Tuppurainen christen the newest eco-friendly addition to our fleet. Altera allows us to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations in line with Finland’s environmental targets. Altera’s CO2 emissions decrease by more than 85 per cent compared to a similar conventional ferry operating on diesel,” explains Mats Rosin, CEO of Suomen Lauttaliikenne Group.
Altera’s energy sources are primarily batteries charged using shore power, which are always charged when the vessel docks. Alongside the batteries, the vessel will use back-up diesel power, which can be used, for example, during winters with heavy ice build-up or during power outages or other abnormal situations.
Work on the ferry was begun in July 2021 at the Polish CRIST S.A. shipyard. Finland’s first battery-hybrid ferry Elektra was built at the same shipyard. Siemens supplied the batteries, electric motors, control system and other related equipment.
“The shipyard and Siemens have valuable experience from building Elektra and we are happy that we were able to continue our successful collaboration with Altera. Altera, which was built based on the model of Elektra (received in 2017), is a significantly upgraded version in terms of its battery and hybrid technology, for example. The waste heat generated by the vessel’s systems is recovered and the ship’s energy efficient hull design is at the cutting edge of its sector. The batteries are charged with green electricity,” says Mats Rosin.
“These improvements make the vessel even more energy efficient and eco-friendly,” adds Rosin.
Finland’s second battery-hybrid ferry Altera is 104 metres long, 15.20 metres wide and has a capacity of 92 cars. Altera will begin operating along the Parainen–Nauvo route by 1 January 2023, paired up with Elektra.
Come see Finferries’ eco-friendly Altera ferry up close!
The battery-hybrid ferry Altera will visit Helsinki on 14 September 2022 and you are free to visit the ferry between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. The ferry will be at Pakkahuoneenlaituri, close to the Magazine Terminal (Makasiiniterminaali), at the address Eteläranta 7, Helsinki.
Altera’s energy source is primarily battery packs that are charged using shore power, alongside back-up diesel-electric power. The eco-friendly Altera ferry, which uses the latest technology, significantly reduces the CO2 emissions from water traffic.
Altera, which will be paired up with the hybrid ferry Elektra along the Parainen–Nauvo route in the Turku archipelago, can carry 92 cars at a time. You can download Altera’s technical information here.
Come take a closer look at the eco-friendly battery-hybrid ferry Altera!
Håkan Fagerström has been appointed deputy CEO of Finferries
Sea captain Håkan Fagerström, EMBA, has been appointed deputy CEO of Suomen Lauttaliikenne Group (Finferries) as of 1 January 2023. Fagerström will take on the role of CEO later in the spring when the current CEO Mats Rosin retires.
Håkan Fagerström has worked for Silja Line, later Tallink Silja, since 1999 and has served as the head of cargo for Tallink Grupp AS since 2017. Since 2006, Fagerström has also been the managing director of Tallink’s subsidiary HTG Stevedoring Oy.
More information
Juha Heikinheimo, 040 501 5181
Chairman of the Board
Finferries has taken delivery of the ferry Altera
Finferries took delivery of the new battery-hybrid ferry, Altera, at the shipyard of Crist S.A. in Gdynia on the 29th of June 2022. The vessel will be towed to Turku in July.
Altera is 104 meters long, 16.5 meters wide and its draught is 3.5 meters. The passenger car capacity is 92 and the maximum passenger capacity is 375.
Altera will be put into service on the Parainen–Nauvo route on 1.1.2023 at the latest.