By
Alex Smith |
China Merchants Jinling Shipyard delivered the first of two Superstar-class ferries, Finnsirius, to Finnlines at its shipyard in Weihai, China.
The ferry is scheduled to start operating on the Naantali-Långnäs–Kapellskär route between Finalnd and Sweden in September 2023. Finnsirius will become the largest ro-pax vessel in the operator’s fleet, doubling passenger capacity on the route from 554 to 1,100.
“Finnlines is proud to introduce the first Superstar, and Finnsirius will be Finnlines’ flagship in both size and technology,” said Antonio Raimo, line manager at Finnlines. “We will be able to offer upgraded services for passengers, including several themed restaurants, a wide range of cabin categories, meeting rooms, a large shop, lounges, to name just a few.”
A second ferry, Finncanopus, is expected to be delivered by the end of 2023. The two new vessels are part of Finnlines €500 million ($562 million) Green Newbuilding Programme, which comprises both ro-pax and ro-ro vessels, all of which will be equipped with sustainable solutions.
“Finnlines’ Green Newbuilding Programme has been a massive investment which will benefit our freight customers and private passengers,” said Tom Pippingsköld, president and CEO of Finnlines. “For example, the vessels have been equipped with enormous high-powered battery banks and onshore power supply in order to have zero emissions while at port. In addition, port operations will also be more efficient with auto-mooring.”