Finnlines’ freight-passenger vessel (ro-pax) M/S Finnsirius, which entered services between mainland Finland, Åland and Sweden in mid-September 2023, was awarded at the Shippax Conference on 13 May 2024, according to the company's release.
Finnsirius and the sister vessel Finncanopus are the largest ro-pax vessels in the Finnlines fleet. Compared with the previous vessels on the route, the cargo capacity increased by nearly 24 per cent to 5,200 lane metres and passenger capacity doubled from 554 to 1,100. The vessels have been equipped with many technical innovations, which improve energy efficiency and reduce the environmental impact. The innovations include high-powered battery banks, air lubrication under the keel and onshore power supply in port. Port operations became more efficient with auto-mooring.
Environmental aspects were also considered in the accommodation where lighting and ventilation can be adjusted automatically. Printed materials, such as menus, travel programmes and price lists, have been replaced by digital screens and mobile apps.
Passenger services were upgraded with several themed restaurants, a wide range of cabin categories, meeting rooms, lounges, a large duty-free shop, and a spa.
Numerous equipment and system suppliers were involved in the design and construction of the vessel. M/S Finnsirius and its sister vessel were built at the China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai, China, but European companies, for instance Wärtsilä, Kongsberg, Delta Marine, Langh Tech, MacGregor and Kone, accounted for 40 per cent of the supplies. The Danish-based ship design consultancy, Knud E. Hansen, drafted the concept design and the interior was designed by the design studio dSign Vertti Kivi.
The Shippax Awards were launched in 1996 to stimulate innovations in the design and construction of new vessels. The jury is well-familiar with particulars of all ships and trends in the industry. The Shippax award can be regarded as the most prestigious award in the ferry, ro-ro and cruise industry.
The Shippax conference is being held on Tallink Grupp’s Baltic Queen on 13-15 May 2024.
In 2023 Finnlines’ Finneco I, was awarded for being one of the most efficient and eco-friendly ro-ro vessel in the world.
Finnlines is a leading shipping operator of freight 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 several destinations in the Mediterranean, West Africa, Atlantic coast of both North and South America as well as Asia and Australia.