By
Laura Hyde |
Finnlines has taken delivery of its second hybrid Superstar-class ferries from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard.
The delivery of the new ro-pax vessel, Finncanopus, was celebrated at a ceremony in Weihai, China, which was attended by representatives from Finnlines and the shipyard. The vessel will spend the next few weeks sailing to Sweden, calling at several ports before entering the Baltic Sea. Finncanopus is scheduled to begin operating on the Naantali–Långnäs–Kapellskär route between Finland and Sweden in February 2024.
“Finnlines has made substantial investments in sustainable and eco-friendly technologies, positioning itself competitively,” said Tom Pippingsköld, president and CEO of Finnlines. “Our investment programmes align with the Grimaldi Group’s strategy aimed at enhancing operational efficiency and to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The new vessels support customers in their transition towards sustainability and environmental responsibility. Therefore, Finnlines continues its green transition and thus makes its best efforts to serve its customers in the most sustainable way.”
The first vessel, Finnsirius, was delivered to Finnlines in July 2023 and entered service on the Naantali–Långnäs–Kapellskär route in September. Both ferries are the largest ro-pax vessels in the Finnlines fleet and have been certified to carry 1,100 passengers.
Finncanopus and Finnsirius are part of Finnlines €500 million ($546 million) Green Newbuilding Programme, which is now complete. The programme comprised two hybrid ro-pax and three hybrid ro-ro vessels, all of which are equipped with sustainable solutions. The three hybrid ro-ro vessels began operations in summer 2022.
“Our new Superstar vessels represent a completely new standard for ro-pax transport in the Baltic Sea, both for freight and passenger traffic,” said Antonio Raimo, line manager at Finnlines. “Finnsirius has been warmly welcomed by private passengers and professional drivers also appreciate upgraded services. When Finncanopus enters traffic, the current smaller ro-pax vessel will be transferred to our route between Sweden and Germany. This way we can improve our services on another important maritime connection.”