Foreship has developed an energy-efficient ferry concept for Greece’s domestic market, targeting operators facing ageing tonnage, heavy seasonality, regulated pricing and rising costs, according to RINA.
The naval architecture and marine engineering company, which is part of RINA, has tailored the design to the operational and economic requirements of Greek domestic routes, with efficiency, simplicity and cost control at the centre of the concept.
Greece’s ferry network connects more than 200 inhabited islands and carries around 50m passengers a year, making fleet renewal a key issue for operators working in a cost-sensitive market.
The concept is based on a more moderate operating-speed profile rather than the higher-speed approach that has traditionally shaped parts of the Greek ferry sector. Foreship says the shift is intended to improve fuel efficiency and overall operating economics.
“This new vessel concept has been developed in response to the specific challenges of the Greek market, with a focus on optimising both capital and operating expenditure. The design integrates all essential functionalities for safe and reliable operations, while avoiding unnecessary complexity, resulting in a robust and economically sustainable vessel,” said Ari Huttunen, Marine Design & Engineering Projects Principal Consultant at Foreship.
The design also takes account of updated European stability requirements affecting ferry dimensions and passenger capacity, with those regulatory factors considered from the early design stage.
Foreship is a Finnish ship design and marine engineering company founded in 2002. Its services cover preliminary studies, concept development, full design packages, on-site support, supervision and project management during construction. The company has more than 90 employees across eight offices worldwide and has completed more than 1,500 conversion projects.
RINA is an Italian inspection, certification and engineering consultancy group. It acquired the full share capital of Foreship in 2025 from Vaaka Partners and the company’s managers, placing the business within RINA Consulting.