“Finneco I”, First GG5G Hybrid Ro-Ro Ship from Finnlines

The Finnish company Finnlines received the ship “Finneco I” on April 28, the first of three units of the Eco class, part of the GG5G project from the powerful Italian shipping group Grimaldi. Built at the Jinling shipyard (China), it will enter service in June on Finnlines routes between ports in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea.

Flagged in Finland, the ship “Finneco I” is part of Finnlines' newbuilding program, worth 500 million euros, which consists of three hybrid ro-ro ships and two hybrid ro-pax ships.

The project began in 2018 with the aim of designing the most environmentally friendly ship to have sailed in the Baltic to date. The order for the three ro-ro ships was signed in May of that year, and construction of the first one, now delivered, began in June 2020.

Regarding the twin ships, “Finneco II” has been afloat since August 2021 and the third, “Finneco III”, since November 2021. All of them are expected to be delivered within the year, according to Finnlines. Additionally, the two Superstar ro-pax ships are scheduled for 2023.

Compared to the larger ships in Finnlines' current fleet, the transport capacity of the new hybrids will increase by almost 40%, as each ship can carry 5,800 linear meters of rolling cargo, which translates, in practice, to 400 trailers per trip.

Each ship is equipped with stern ramps, internal ramps, and movable decks for cars. Areas of the cargo decks have been designated for transporting paper rolls, and one of the intermediate decks allows rolling cargo up to seven meters high.

The classification society Rina has assigned the additional notation Green Plus considering the environmental performance of the ship, powered by two-stroke main engines, which have a specific fuel consumption compared to four-stroke engines. An air lubrication system under the keel will reduce frictional and hydrodynamic resistance, consequently lowering fuel consumption and emissions. Zero emissions can be achieved during port calls with the 5 MW battery power. The batteries recharge during navigation and also feature 600 square meters of solar panels. An exhaust gas cleaning system (scrubbers) will reduce air emissions and harmful particles.

Finnlines has enhanced onboard services for truck drivers, who are regular customers. Each ship features a gym, sauna, dining room, recreation room, and a laundry exclusively for drivers, in addition to spacious and comfortable single cabins.

Weighing 60,515 gross tons and 17,377 tons deadweight, it measures 238 m in overall length and 34 m in beam. It is powered by two engines of 12,780 kW each, allowing it to maintain a speed of 20.7 knots. IMO Code 9856839.

Photo: provided