STX Finland’s Rauma Shipyard holds naming ceremony for double-ended ferry
On Friday 23 November 2012, STX Finland Oy’s Rauma Shipyard celebrated the naming of the double-ended ferry built for and delivered to Suomen Lauttaliikenne Oy (Finferries). The godmother of the next generation road ferry, professor Elina Pirjatanniemi, gave the ship name “Stella” with the invited guests, the representatives of Suomen Lauttaliikenne, STX Finland, and the classification society Bureau Veritas, as well as the members of the media witnessing the ceremony, the STX Europe news release said.
The environmentally friendly double-ended ferry, NB 1380, entered production in December 2011 at the STX Finland’s Rauma Shipyard. The vessel will operate in Turku archipelago, Finland, on the Korppoo – Houtskari route, the length and challenging ice conditions of which will set special requirements on the vessel’s performance. Particular attention has been paid to the ferry’s energy efficiency and safety. The 65 meter long ferry is double-ended, in other words, capable of running in both directions, and accommodates some 250 passengers, three tandem trailers and 39 cars. The new feature offered for the passengers is the modern indoor café. Stella will enter traffic at the beginning of 2013. The delivery included also three floating link spans, facilitating rapid loading of the ferry.
"The design, procurement and building processes at the STX Finland’s Rauma Shipyard have proceeded according to plans, and the co-operation with the customer, authorities and co-operation partners has gone very smoothly. We are very satisfied to be able to deliver this ferry, representing the cutting edge of shipbuilding in this vessel type, to Finferries and the residents of the Turku archipelago," says Toivo Ilvonen, Director of STX Finland’s Rauma Shipyard.
“Stella will make the everyday life of those in need of moving around in the archipelago easier for several decades to come. This modern road ferry has been designed taking account of the needs of both the passengers and the environment. Built with Finnish professional competence, this ferry is a concrete example of the fact that heavy investments must be made in maintaining the viability of archipelago areas, today and in the future," says Mats Rosin, CEO of Suomen Lauttaliikenne Oy.
STX Finland Oy has three shipyards in Finland, Turku shipyard, Rauma shipyard and Arctech Helsinki Shipyard Oy, of which STX Finland Oy owns 50%. STX Finland’s subsidiaries include Aker Arctic Technology Oy and STX Finland Cabins Oy. The Company belongs to the international STX Europe Group, with a product range including cruise and ferry ships, specialized and offshore services vessels, and icebreaking special vessels. STX Europe has a total of approximately 14,000 employees. www.stxeurope.com
STX Europe's principal shareholder, the Korean-based international industrial group STX Business Group, has approximately 70,000 employees and aims to be a global top player in its core areas; shipping and trade, shipbuilding and machineries, plant and construction, and energy.
Finferries (Suomen Lauttaliikenne group) is a state-owned operator of ferry services in Finland. Commuter ferries are operated by a subsidiary of the group; Finland Archipelago Shipping, Ltd. Finferries has approximately 330 employees and operates on 49 routes around the country. The head office is located in Turku, with a branch office located in Savonlinna. Approximately five million vehicles and 10 million passengers are transported by Finferries annually.