The new ferry will be dual fuel operated, using LNG as its main fuel and will have capacity for 2,800 passengers. It will start operating on the Tallinn-Helsinki route, further developing this important route between the two capital cities. The new ferry will be built using all the latest technologies and the most innovative solutions available and the group’s aim is to build the most energy efficient and environmentally friendly vessel operating on the Baltic Sea.
Commenting on the news, Tallink Grupp’s CEO Paavo Nõgene said:
“Tallink Grupp has put a great deal of resources and effort into developing the Tallinn-Helsinki route for decades. With the launch of the shuttle service over ten years ago, we have built a bridge between the two capitals, offering year-round frequent departures and thus bringing the two countries closer together. The next step on our journey is the continuous development and improvement of that service. Megastar was the first giant leap forward for us and the new ship will be a similarly momentous achievement.
„We are also very happy to cooperate with a Finnish shipyard on this project, providing valuable man-hours of work and opportunities for several Estonian and Finnish companies and suppliers to benefit from this joint project.“
„Tallink is a group that is continuously developing and the decisions we make are proof of this. As we continue to grow and build on our offering to our customers, there will no doubt be more news to share in the future.”
“We are very pleased to announce that Rauma shipyard’s shipbuilding tradition, together with Tallink, will continue with RMC’s building of a new Shuttle ship. It is a great honour to be signing a Letter of Intent with our old friends at Tallink who have always shown appreciation for the shipbuilding expertise in Rauma. This is an opportunity for us to utilize our longstanding experience and to help steer the ship traffic between Finland and Estonia in a more environmentally friendly direction,” Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO of Rauma Marine Constructions said.
Historically four Tallink Grupp ships have been built at the Rauma shipyard (although under different management at different times) and in addition to this, two vessels have been designed in Rauma shipyard. The last ship built at the shipyard was the group’s vessel Baltic Queen, delivered in 2009 and currently operating on the group’s Tallinn-Stockholm route.
Over the next few months Tallink Grupp and RMC will work on the shipbuilding contract and financing arrangements.
Tallink Grupp
AS Tallink Grupp is the leading passenger and cargo transportation service provider in the Northern region of the Baltic Sea. The company owns 14 vessels and operates under the brands of Tallink and Silja Line on 7 different routes. AS Tallink Grupp employs more than 7,400 people in the region and over 9.8 million passengers travelled on its ferries in 2017. AS Tallink Grupp is listed on the Tallinn Stock Exchange.
Rauma Marine Construction
Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) is a wholly Finnish-owned shipbuilding company formed in summer 2014 in Rauma. RMC specializes in building and servicing car and passenger ferries, multipurpose icebreakers and naval vessels.
