Finneco I, the first of three ro-ro vessels in the Eco class was delivered at the China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Jiangsu) in China on 28 April 2022, Finnlines says in its press release. According to the current plans Finneco I will enter Finnlines’ Baltic Sea, North Sea and Biscay traffic in June 2022.
The first vessel of Finnlines’ EUR 500 million Newbuilding Programme, the hybrid ro-ro vessel Finneco I, was delivered on 28 April 2022.
The concept planning started in 2018 and the target was to create the most environmentally friendly vessel which had ever operated in the Baltic Sea. The order for three ro-ro vessels was signed in May 2018 and construction of the first vessel began in June 2020.
The construction of the two sister vessels has also progressed. The second ro-ro vessel, Finneco II, was launched in August 2021, the third, Finneco III, in November 2021. All three vessels will enter Finnlines’ Baltic sea, North Sea and Biscay traffic during 2022.
Finnlines’ Newbuilding Programme also includes two eco-sustainable Superstar ro-pax vessels scheduled to be delivered in 2023.
Compared with the largest vessels in today’s Finnlines fleet, the cargo carrying capacity of the hybrid newbuilds will increase by nearly 40% as each vessel can transport 5.8 km cargo. In practice, this means that the vessel can carry approximately 400 trailers per voyage.
Nevertheless, efficient cargo operations will be ensured by arrangement of stern ramps, internal ramps, and hoistable car decks. Certain areas on cargo decks have been dedicated for loading of paper reels. Several decks and internal ramps speed up loading and unloading. At the same the vessels will be extremely flexible – a hoistable deck makes it possible to load any type of rolling freight up to 7 metres.
The classification society Rina has assigned an additional class notation “Green Plus” for the vessel’s environmental performance. The vessel has been fitted with two-stroke main engines, which have a lower specific fuel consumption than four-stroke engines. An air lubrication system under the keel will reduce frictional and hydrodynamic resistance and consequently reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Zero emissions during port calls can be achieved with a battery power bank of 5 MW. The batteries are recharged during sailing and 600 m2 of solar panels will also generate power. Furthermore, an exhaust gas cleaning system will cut air emissions and reduce harmful particles.
Finnlines has upgraded its onboard services for lorry drivers, who are frequent customers. The vessel has a gym, a sauna area, a dining and recreation room and a laundry for drivers to use. To add comfort on board, drivers will be allocated single cabins.
“We welcome Finneco I into our fleet. The ship will be larger and more eco-friendly than any ro-ro vessel in the Baltic Sea. The vessel will play an important role in ensuring a reliable supply of goods to and from Finland and our connections to Europe will improve greatly when the vessel starts to operate in Finnlines’ Baltic Sea, North Sea and Biscay traffic,” says Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of Finnlines.
“The innovative Eco-class vessels, which were also built at the Jinling Jiangsu shipyard and now operate under the Grimaldi Group flag, have been a great success. I feel confident that the Finneco series will give added value to Finnlines and its customers,” Grimaldi continues.
Ship particulars, Finneco I–III – Type of vessel: Ro-ro; Ice class: 1 A Super; Length, overall: 238.0 m; Breadth, moulded: 34.0 m; Gross tonnage: 60,515; Deadweight: 17,377; Lane metres: 5,800; Design speed: 20.7 knots; Engine output : 2 x 12,780 kW; Flag: Finland.
Emission reduction technology: air lubrication, battery pack, exhaust gas abatement, solar panels, waste heat recovery, ballast water treatment system
Finnlines is a leading shipping operator of ro-ro and passenger services in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay. The Company is a part of the Grimaldi Group, one of the world’s largest operators of ro-ro vessels and the largest operator of the Motorways of the Sea in Europe for both passengers and freight. This affiliation enables Finnlines to offer liner services to and from any destination in the Mediterranean, West Africa as well as the Atlantic coast of both North and South America.