LNG-fuelled Viking Glory to operate under Finnish flag

Viking Line’s new flagship, Viking Glory, which will enter service in early 2022 on the Turku–Åland–Stockholm route, will fly the Finnish flag, the company said.

Constructed at China’s XSI shipyard, the ship will further boost Viking Line’s fleet, five of them already sailing under the Finnish flag.

“We see great advantages to having the same flag on both vessels serving the Turku–Stockholm route. Viking Glory will replace the Finnish-flagged Amorella, and since the intention is for the delivery of Viking Glory not to lead to any redundancy measures, it is natural to continue with a Finnish flag,” Jan Hanses, President and CEO of Viking Line, said.

Viking Glory, as the first ship in the world to be equipped with Wärtsilä 31DF dual-fuel engines, is a part of a Finnish-Swedish EU project, aiming to promote green and efficient maritime transport and give another push to maritime decarbonisation.

The ship has already been marked as “climate-conscious” using LNG-powered engines, thus producing zero sulfur emissions and lowering CO2.

Viking Glory is scheduled to be delivered in the last quarter of 2021, with the sea trials beginning in June. With a length of 222.6 metres and a gross tonnage 63,813 tonnes, it will have a cargo capacity of 1,500 metres and a passenger capacity of 2,800.

Currently, Viking Glory seems to be an ace up Viking Line’s sleeve, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a great impact on company’s operations and results.

”The group’s operations during the first quarter of 2021 continued to be dominated by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Hanses further said.

“The Finnish Government introduced stricter travel restrictions on January 22, 2021… This naturally had a negative impact on the demand for travel, and as a result, the group was forced to cut back on the range of services and staffing on board.”

Albeit Viking Glory’s construction has already been delayed, the company’s CEO raises hope to see great advantages by having another vessel sailing under the Finnish flag.