Aker Yards Signs Retrofit Contract

Aker Yards and the German TT-Line have signed a contract for retrofitting of four passenger-car ferries. The retrofit means renewing the vessels fuel systems to be more flexible and conforming to today’s demands. The project value is $9.1 million. The project will be executed on the yard in Helsinki during January-March 2006.

The project will be managed by Aker Finnyards Lifecycle services, which offers comprehensive and cost efficient services to cruise and passenger ship operators. Established in 2003, the Lifecycle Services is a natural continuation of the yards long-term commitment to its customers. The target market is the whole Cruise and Ferry Operators Fleet.

"The revitalization project of the luxury cruise ship Enchantment of the Seas for Royal Caribbean last summer was a success, and strategically important for Aker Yards in the growing market of passenger ship conversions. A Retrofit contract with our old customer TT-Line is a welcome sequel", says Yrjö Julin, President of Aker Finnyards and responsible for Cruise & Ferries in Aker Yards.

Two of the four vessels to be retrofitted, Robin Hood and Nils Dacke, have been built by Aker Finnyards ten years ago. The vessels will be more cost effective in the future, as their fuel system will be modernised to take advantage of both low sulphur HFO and MDO.