Keel laying at Finnlines
There are two Finnlines newbuilts around the corner. While the shipping company is building two ro-pax vessels of the "Superstar class", the keel laying of the first one, “Finnsirius”, was celebrated on 1 April 2022.
The units, “Finnsirius” and its sister vessel “Finncanopus”, will operate on the Finland–Sweden route from 2023 on, where Finnlines has sailed since 1997. The ports of call are Naantali in mainland Finland, Långnäs on the Åland Islands and Kapellskär in Sweden.
The combined passenger-cargo vessel will have capacity for about 300 trucks, 200 cars and 1,100 passengers. The vessels are 235 m long and truck drivers have access to their own lounge, sauna and laundry.
“The main focus has been on sustainability. Onshore power supply and a high-capacity battery pack are examples of how the company eliminates local emissions. With the aid of the latest technologies and sustainable innovations, these large vessels are not expected to consume more fuel than the previous generation,” says Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of Finnlines.
The two Superstar vessels are part of Finnlines’ EUR 500-million newbuilding programme, which also includes three hybrid ro-ro vessels. The latter ones will enter Finnlines’ services during 2022. (sh)