The passenger shipping line Viking Line plans to order a new passenger vessel from the STX shipyard in Turku. The vessel is scheduled to start sailing between Turku and Stockholm in 2013.
An order from Viking Line would be an important break for STX, which is suffering from a major shortage of orders. The Turku shipyard is currently finishing work on its only existing project, the luxury liner Allure of the Seas.
The new Viking Line ship is to be about 210 metres long, with a capacity for 2,800 passengers. STX promises that the vessel will the most environmentally friendly cruise liner in its size class, using liquefied natural gas as its fuel.
The actual order has not been placed yet. Viking Line says that ordering the ship from STX hinges on support from the state.
The government has decided to earmark funds for shipyard subsidies to help the industry get over the economic crisis.
“The precondition was that the order should be made by the summer, which means that the ministerial committee on economic policy must discuss the matter in the coming days”, says Minister of Economic Affairs Mauri Pekkarinen (Centre Party).
Viking Line CEO Mikael Backman said on Monday that he is confident that the subsidy will be granted.
Minister of Transport and Communications Anu Vehviläinen (Centre) emphasised that no concrete promises had been made to any shipping lines.
State support for ship orders can take three different forms. Shipyards can be paid one-off subsidies for the acquisition of new environmentally-friendly ships. A supplementary budget has earmarked EUR 30 million for the purpose, but no statute has been passed on the matter, and it also needs the approval of the European Commission.
A shipyard can also be paid innovation subsidies. About EUR 14.5 million out of EUR 20 million that had been set aside has been left unused, and Pekkarinen says that just under EUR 10 million could be used for the purpose.
Third, the state can support financing of the project by offering loan guarantees or interest subsidies.
An order from Viking Line would be an important break for STX, which is suffering from a major shortage of orders. The Turku shipyard is currently finishing work on its only existing project, the luxury liner Allure of the Seas.
The new Viking Line ship is to be about 210 metres long, with a capacity for 2,800 passengers. STX promises that the vessel will the most environmentally friendly cruise liner in its size class, using liquefied natural gas as its fuel.
The actual order has not been placed yet. Viking Line says that ordering the ship from STX hinges on support from the state.
The government has decided to earmark funds for shipyard subsidies to help the industry get over the economic crisis.
“The precondition was that the order should be made by the summer, which means that the ministerial committee on economic policy must discuss the matter in the coming days”, says Minister of Economic Affairs Mauri Pekkarinen (Centre Party).
Viking Line CEO Mikael Backman said on Monday that he is confident that the subsidy will be granted.
Minister of Transport and Communications Anu Vehviläinen (Centre) emphasised that no concrete promises had been made to any shipping lines.
State support for ship orders can take three different forms. Shipyards can be paid one-off subsidies for the acquisition of new environmentally-friendly ships. A supplementary budget has earmarked EUR 30 million for the purpose, but no statute has been passed on the matter, and it also needs the approval of the European Commission.
A shipyard can also be paid innovation subsidies. About EUR 14.5 million out of EUR 20 million that had been set aside has been left unused, and Pekkarinen says that just under EUR 10 million could be used for the purpose.
Third, the state can support financing of the project by offering loan guarantees or interest subsidies.