Finnlines’ third hybrid Ro-Ro ship launched in China

The third hybrid roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessel ordered by Finnish shipping company Finnlines was launched at China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Jiangsu) on 22 November 2021.

The launching of Finneco 3 represents an important milestone in Finnlines’ newbuilding program which includes two eco-efficient roll-on/roll-off passenger (RoPax) vessels in addition to the three hybrid RoRo vessels. The keel-laying ceremony for the third, and also the last vessel, was held in August this year.

The Finneco series vessels are 238 metres long with a cargo capacity of 5,800 lane metres. Compared to the company’s largest Ro-Ro vessels today, cargo capacity increased by nearly 40%.

When entering the Finnlines traffic, the new vessels are expected to reduce environmental impact of the fleet and improve energy efficiency. Lithium-ion battery systems will allow zero-emission port visits and low-emission two-stroke engines, emission abatement systems, solar panels and an air lubrication system will cut emissions further, according to the company.

“We are improving our performance while at the same time reducing the environmental impact of our fleet. The hybrid vessels will be among the most innovative and efficient ships in the world and are part of the investments we make in the responsible and sustainable operations of our fleet,” said Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of Finnlines.

Finnish ferry operator has contracted clean technology company Silverstream Technologies to install its air lubrication technology on two environmentally friendly newbuild RoPax vessels.