Tallink orders LNG fueled 2,800 passenger ferry at Finland’s RMC
Written by Nick Blenkey
New LNG fueled ferry is set for delivery 1n 2022
Estonia’s Tallink Group has entered into a contract with Finnish shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) covering the construction of a new LNG-fueled fast ferry for the Tallinn – Helsinki route shuttle operation.
With an overall length of 212 m and a gross tonnage of about 50,000 grt, the new ferry will have a service speed of 27 knots and be able to carry 2,800 passengers. Delivery of the vessel is expected in January 2022.
The vessel will cost approximately EUR 250 million (about $281 million. According to the contract, 30 percent of the total cost will be paid during the construction period and the rest after the delivery of the vessel. Tallink Group plans to finance 70 percent of the new ship cost in 2022 by long-term loan and says the loan terms will be concluded in the near future.
In comparison with the group’s latest vessel, the LNG fueled Megastar delivered in 2017 by the Meyer Turku shipyard, the new ferry will have a larger passenger area with more seating, more crew cabins and, from a technical point of view, shore power connection, 30% larger LNG fuel tanks, reducing the frequency of bunkering of the vessel. Further, with an enhanced new design, the CO2 emissions of new shuttle ferry can be reduced by 10%.
The new ship will also benefit from a recently signed cooperation agreement with Tallinn Technical University, the aim of which is to develop innovative Smart Car deck solutions for the Tallink vessels to enhance the loading and unloading operations and make them compatible with the already existing Smart Port solutions at the Port of Tallinn.
“We are very proud that Tallink trusted us in giving this important project to RMC for successful design and manufacturing their newest shuttle ferry, which takes some benefits from the existing fleet, but exceeds them in performance thanks to the integration of the newest technology applications, for example concerning power demand. In RMC’s path to global technology leadership in ferry building, this project is a great milestone and brings us on an even level with the market leaders.
The project itself is extremely awaited in Rauma, since it allows us to continue our amicable co-operation with our colleagues at Tallink, of which we have had great experiences already since the beginning of the millennium, when M/S Romantika was under construction in Rauma as the first newbuilding ferry of Tallink Grupp.
Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO of RMC
