Keel Laid for Finnlines’ Second Hybrid RoRo Ship

MarineLink May 14, 2021

The construction of the Finneco II is progressing and the first keel-block of the new vessel was laid into the shipyard’s dry dock. (Photo: Finnlines)

The Nanjing Jinling shipyard in China has laid the keel for the second of three new hybrid ro-ro vessels it is building for Finnlines.

The construction of MS Finneco II is proceeding, and the keel laying ceremony was held on May 12, Finnlines said.

The vessel is part of Finnlines’ €500 million ($607 million) newbuilding program which includes two eco-sustainable ro-pax vessels in addition to the three hybrid ro-ro vessels.

“Finnlines has made major investments in renewing and developing its fleet into more sustainable, using the latest technologies and green innovations available. Our half-billion-Euro newbuilding program is well underway and currently all three new ultra-green ro-ro vessels are in construction. The investments made already in the Finnlines’ fleet, as well as these new vessels, will ensure that we can provide very sustainable service to our customers,” said Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of Finnlines.

MS Finneco I was launched in April and will begin operating at the turn of the year, followed by the series' second and third vessels, MS Finneco II and MS Finneco III, scheduled to be delivered in 2022.

The new vessels are 238 meters long with a cargo capacity of 5,800 lane meters. Additionally, car decks have a capacity of 5,800 square meters and about 520 TEU on the weather deck. Consequently, each of the new 17,400 dwt vessels can carry about 300 trailers, 150 cars and 500 sea containers per sailing, a 38% cargo capacity increase compared to Finnlines’ current largest Breeze series ro-ro vessels.

The ships include several energy-saving solutions, including lithium-ion battery systems that allow zero-emissions port visits, as well as modern two-stroke engines, emissions abatement systems, solar panels and an innovative air lubrication system to cut emissions even further.

All three hybrid ro-ro vessels will sail under the Finnish flag, transporting goods to Finland and providing regular sea connections from Finland to Sweden and Finland to Continental Europe and Great Britain.

(Image: Finnlines)