Finnlines has moved forward with its plans for a trio of ‘green’ ferries after the signing off their design contract.
Knud E Hansen signed the contract with Nanjing Jinling Shipyard, China, for developing the basic design of three large roro vessels, based on the Finnlines/Grimaldi/Knud E Hansen design.
A statement from Knud E Hansen said “The vessels are based on the same hull as the Grimaldi Green fifth-generation vessels and are thus sister vessels but customised to the needs of Finnlines with regards to heavy cargo and operation in cold climates. The customisation has been developed in close co-operation between Finnlines and Knud E Hansen.”
The vessels, which are expected to be delivered from 2021, will have a length of 238 m, a beam of 34 m and are designed to meet the highest Finnish/Swedish ice class, 1A Super. The design is aimed to be flexible for all types of roro cargo with a capacity of 5,800 lane m and more than 5,000 m2 of vehicle decks.
The vessels will use electricity in port, courtesy of large lithium batteries, thus guaranteeing zero emissions while at berth. These batteries will be recharged during navigation, through shaft generators employing a peak shaving system. Additionally, an air lubrication system will be installed to reduce hull resistance using a thin layer of bubbles below the keel.
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