Finnlines has ordered three new green Ro-Ro vessels to respond to increasing demand for freight transport.

The total investment is over €200m and the first ships are set for delivery sometime in 2020-2021. The ships have been designed in co-operation with Danish marine designer Knud E. Hansen and are to be built at the Chinese Jingling shipyard. The new vessels will be 238 metres long with a cargo capacity of 5,800 lane metres. In addition, car decks have a capacity of 5,600m². The ships will have the highest Finnish-Swedish Super 1A ice class. 

Vessels will be equipped with scrubbers and will produce zero emissions while in port, as the ships will be fitted with a high-powered battery bank. They will use electricity in port, courtesy of large lithium batteries, thus guaranteeing zero emissions whilst at berth. These batteries will be recharged during navigation, through shaft generators employing a peak shaving system. Additionally, an innovative air lubrication system will be installed to reduce hull resistance using a thin layer of bubbles below the keel. 

Savings in fuel consumption will be achieved through the hull shape, the propellor-rudder system and the air lubrication system under the keel to reduce friction. The vessels will be among the most modern and environmentally friendly ships in the Baltic Sea. 

Emanuele Grimaldi, President and CEO of Finnlines has stated; 

We are aiming for high energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. These vessels will offer us the lowest possible fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, which is in line with our investments in sustainable development. Over the last 10 years, we have invested more than a billion euros in renewal of vessels. 

The vessels will be based on the same hull as the Grimaldi 5th Generation vessels and are thus sister vessels but customised to the needs of Finnlines with regards to heavy cargo and operation in cold climates.