New technology takes Finferries’ hybrid vessel to international forefront of environmentally friendly ferries

Published on 29.10.2015

This spring, Finferries signed a contract with the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment on improving the services involving the Parainen–Nauvo route. The improvement in the quality of services will be actualised through a new, environmentally friendly ferry. An energy‑efficient newbuilding, larger than the current vessels on the route, will begin operation in summer 2017.

“We want to offer our passengers new equipment that will guarantee that the reliability and safety in what we do will be better than ever. Also, our investment in a low-emission hybrid vessel will be a concrete way to take the environment into consideration,” says Finferries CEO Mats Rosin.

Battery packs charged by shore power and a diesel electricity generator alongside them as a backup will first and foremost serve as an energy source for the newbuilding. The design criteria also emphasise operational safety so that the result will be a vessel that will benefit from the newest technology and will provide high-quality basic services.

Finferries has ordered the newbuilding from the Polish shipyard CRIST S.A. in Gdynia. Finferries had sent calls for tender to 13 shipyards, and the ones that made it to the finishing line were in Finland, Germany , Norway and Poland.

“I am extremely satisfied that the long and thorough selection process is now finished. We’ve chosen Crist to deliver the vessel because of the competitive price and their ability to provide us with a vessel of excellent quality. Siemens will provide the new technology for the ship. Siemens is a company that has plenty of experience and an excellent reputation with a similar application on a Norwegian ferry,” Mats Rosin states.

"Electric ferries offer a great new technology to provide sustainable, efficient and reliable transportation to the Finnish archipelago. This is another important step in protecting the Baltic Sea", Siemens Osakeyhtiö CEO Janne Öhman says.

The forthcoming hybrid vessel for the Parainen–Nauvo route is a natural expansion to the energy-efficient Stella on the Korppoo–Houtskari–Norrskata route. Finferries has already begun development work involving the use of alternative energy sources alongside traditional fuel on the vessels. The newbuilding has furthermore been put into a class of ferries that it will be able to operate in other areas and routes as well.

The electric hybrid ferry will be approximately 90 metres long, 16 metres wide and will be able to hold a maximum of 90 cars. The operation on the Parainen–Nauvo route will begin in summer 2017.