Wasaline's New RoPax Vessel Christened

Wasaline's new car and passenger ferry Aurora Botnia, built at Rauma shipyard, was christened on Wednesday in Vaasa, Finland. The vessel will operate the route between Vaasa and Umeå, Sweden, daily.

Aurora Botnia construction started with ceremonies in September 2019. The next major milestone was reached in February 2020 when the ship’s keel was laid. In September 2020, launching was celebrated one year after construction began, and in June 2021 the vessel first reached the sea. The project has lasted for two years, cost EUR 120 million and had an employment impact of around 800 person-years.

“Botnia is the most environmentally friendly large RoPax ferry in the world, and its degree of domestic origin exceeds 80 per cent,” says Peter Ståhlberg, CEO of Wasaline.

Meeting the criteria of the Clean Design class notation, Aurora Botnia can handle traffic to harbors with electricity, which reduces both emissions and noise generated. The ship’s sulphur, nitrogen and carbon dioxide emissions are reduced, for example, by main machines that operate primarily with liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Wasaline said special attention has been paid to future fuels in the design of the vessel. Aurora Botnia is also able to utilize biogas as its fuel.

“It is of paramount importance for both the customer and the environment to build ships that stand the test of time. The ships we build today must also be able to operate in decades’ time without massive modifications or, at worst, scrapping. Aurora Botnia’s ability to utilize biogas is one way to meet this challenge,” said Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO and President of Rauma Marine Constructions.

Length: 150 m
Width: 26 m
Draught: 6.1 m
Gross tonnage: 24,300
Speed: 20 knots
Lane meters: 1,500
Passengers: 800
Cabins: 68