AS Tallink Grupp and Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) last night signed a Letter of Intent for the construction of a new shuttle ferry for the Tallinn-Helsinki route. Tallink says the estimated cost of the project is approximately 250 million euros and the new vessel will be built at the Rauma shipyard in Finland. The construction of the new ship is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. The project will provide approximately 1500 man-years employment for the shipyard.
The new ferry will be dual fuel operated, using LNG as its main fuel and will have capacity for 2,800 passengers. It will start operating on the Tallinn-Helsinki route, further developing this important route between the two capital cities. The new ferry will be built using all the latest technologies and the most innovative solutions available and the group’s aim is to build the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly vessel operating on the Baltic Sea.
Commenting on the news, Tallink Grupp’s CEO Paavo Nõgene said:
“Tallink Grupp has put a great deal of resources and effort into developing the Tallinn-Helsinki route for decades. With the launch of the shuttle service over ten years ago, we have built a bridge between the two capitals, offering year-round frequent departures and thus bringing the two countries closer together. The next step on our journey is the continuous development and improvement of that service. Megastar was the first giant leap forward for us and the new ship will be a similarly momentous achievement.
„We are also very happy to cooperate with a Finnish shipyard on this project, providing valuable man-hours of work and opportunities for several Estonian and Finnish companies and suppliers to benefit from this joint project.“
„Tallink is a group that is continuously developing and the decisions we make are proof of this. As we continue to grow and build on our offering to our customers, there will no doubt be more news to share in the future.”
“We are very pleased to announce that Rauma shipyard’s shipbuilding tradition, together with Tallink, will continue with RMC's building of a new Shuttle ship. It is a great honour to be signing a Letter of Intent with our old friends at Tallink who have always shown appreciation for the shipbuilding expertise in Rauma. This is an opportunity for us to utilize our longstanding experience and to help steer the ship traffic between Finland and Estonia in a more environmentally friendly direction,” Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO of Rauma Marine Constructions said.
Historically four Tallink Grupp ships have been built at the Rauma shipyard (although under different management at different times) and in addition to this, two vessels have been designed in Rauma shipyard. The last ship built at the shipyard was the group’s vessel Baltic Queen, delivered in 2009 and currently operating on the group’s Tallinn-Stockholm route.
Over the next few months Tallink Grupp and RMC will work on the shipbuilding contract and financing arrangements.