Finnlines newbuilding programme has progressed as planned and now the last of the three new ultra-green ro-ro vessels ordered is in the production phase, the company said in its release. The steel plates of the third new hybrid ro-ro were cut in a traditional steel cutting ceremony at the Nanjing Jinling shipyard in China on 16 December 2020. Furthermore, the keel laying of the first hybrid ro-ro took place on the same day.
The new ro-ro vessels are part of Finnlines’ ongoing EUR 500-million newbuilding programme, which includes two eco-efficient ro-pax vessels in addition to the three hybrid ro-ro vessels. The newbuildings will improve the energy efficiency of the Company’s fleet, as well as reduce emissions, as they will be built with the latest environmentally efficient solutions and technologies. Lithium-ion battery systems will allow zero-emission port visits as well as modern two-stroke engines, emission abatement systems, solar panels and an innovative air lubrication system will cut emissions further.
These new hybrid ro-ro vessels, Finneco I, Finneco II and Finneco III are expected to be delivered during 2021–2022.
“In the past years, we have steered investments to sustainable development. We have invested in energy efficiency and green technologies and our newbuilding programme focuses on many energy-saving features. These world’s most environmentally friendly ro-ro vessels, and our entire newbuilding programme will continue to implement our sustainable strategy. In the future, we are able to meet the needs of our customers and society even better and continue to guarantee high-quality sea transport services,” says Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of Finnlines.