Finnish state-owned ferry operator FinFerries has ordered a new hybrid electric vessel for Åland, an autonomous territory of Finland.
Polish shipyard Crist has been awarded the construction contract, with the deal including an option for another vessel. The environmentally friendly ferry will be deployed on the Föglö route and operated by local company Ansgar AB. Traffic on the Åland Föglö route is expected to commence on April 1, 2022.
According to FinFerries the new 100.5m-long vessel will have a capacity of 375 passengers and 90 cars, and will be powered primarily by shore-based battery packs with diesel generators to be used as backup power. FinFerries’ first diesel-electric battery-hybrid ferry Elektra will serve as a reference for the design of the new vessel. Elektra began operating along the route between Parainen and Nauvo in summer 2017, with a 40% larger transportation capacity and 60% fewer emissions than the vessel that previously served the route.
FinFerries continues to invest in environmentally friendly technology to fulfil Finland’s pledge to be carbon-neutral by 2035.