Finnish shipyard Rauma Marine Constructions has begun construction of the world’s most environmentally friendly RoPax vessel for the consortium Kvarken Link, to operate between Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden.
The start of the construction was celebrated at the shipyard on 16 September, with a traditional steel cutting ceremony.
The ship, which will operate daily between Vaasa in Finland and Umeå in Sweden, will contain a hybrid electric system with batteries and four dual-fuel engines capable of operating on LNG and biogas.
The new technology reduces CO2 emissions by 50% compared to the existing ship, ‘Wasa Express’, making it the world’s first RoPax ferry with a Clean Design class mark.
The new vessel will replace ‘Wasa Express’ in traffic in the spring of 2021 and will be operated by Wasaline.
Kvarken Link, owned by the City of Vaasa and the Municipality of Umeå, is the owner of the new vessel.
Our ferry will be something exceptional and it will feature the most advanced and reliable technology. It will be the most environmentally friendly Ropax vessel built so far,
…says Peter Ståhlberg, CEO of Wasaline.
Electric ferries for short sea routes are considered an interesting green alternative as shipping is struggling to achieve decarbonization in line with IMO’s ambitious GHG strategy.
