Fincantieri to build worlds largest Ropax

Fincantieri and Finnlines, the Finnish shipping company, have signed a contract to build three 42,000 gt, 9,200 dwt ropax ferries at a total cost of 300 million Euro ($377 million). Furthermore, the companies have agreed an option for two more sister ships. The acquisition of the newbuildings will be financed mainly through the sale of the company?s older vessels.

The three ships will be employed by Finnlines to connect Helsinki and Travemunde (Germany). The first unit is scheduled for delivery at the end of 2005 with the second in May 2006 and the last one in June 2006. When all three are in service, Finnlines claims it will have free capacity available to strengthen its existing routes and/or establish new routes.

The design of these newbuildings, measuring 216 metres long, beam of 30.5 metres and draught of 7 metres, was created by Fincantieri?s Merchant Ship Business Unit and incorporates operational flexibility and a high degree of reliability. The newbuildings will be able to carry up to 500 passengers in 225 cabins while the 4,200 lane metres RoRo decks will accommodate some 300 trucks. This RoRo capacity will make these vessels the largest ever of their type and the fastest of their size. Powered by four Wärtsilä 9L46D medium-speed diesel engines with a total power output of 48,000kW, each vessel will have a service speed of 25 knots.

The last time Fincantieri received a passenger ship order was May 2003 when it was contracted to build a 116,000-gt vessel for the Carnival group for delivery due in May 2006. Besides that, it also received in October last year an order for two 2,200-unit RoRo/car carriers from Greek owner Neptune Lines. With the latest order from Finnlines, Fincantieri has now secured enough workload to keep itself busy for the next two years.

While the Italian shipbuilder is naturally very pleased to have been awarded this new business, Finnish shipbuilder Aker Finnyards will be disappointed since it had also bid for the contract. Some trade unions in Finland have denounced Finnlines? decision as greedy and unpatriotic. n