The Grimaldi Group, of which Finnlines is a part, has signed an order for nine pioneering ro-pax ships. Six vessels will be deployed in the Mediterranean under the Grimaldi Lines and Minoan Lines brands, while three will be operated by Finnlines in the Baltic Sea. Key features include reduced environmental impact and enhanced onboard comfort.<\/p>\n
As part of its fleet expansion and renewal program, the Grimaldi Group has commissioned the construction of nine ro-pax vessels from China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai), a China Merchants Group company. The agreement for these cutting-edge new builds, worth a total of $1.3 billion, was signed this morning in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n
The new ships have been designed to elevate the quality of maritime transport for both rolling cargo and passengers in the Mediterranean and the Baltic Sea. All nine will be equipped with engines capable of running on methanol, making them ready to achieve the “Net Zero Emission” goal. Indeed, they will combine transport capacity, innovative design and onboard comfort, all perfectly aligned with environmental sustainability.<\/p>\n
Four of the new vessels will sail under the Italian flag and be operated under the Grimaldi Lines brand, while two, under the Greek flag, will be deployed by the Greek subsidiary Minoan Lines. These six sister ships belong to the \u201cNext Generation Med\u201d class and will serve routes in the Mediterranean. The other three will be delivered to Finnlines, sail under the Finnish flag and inaugurate the \u201cHansa Superstar\u201d class \u2013 constituting the evolution of the already state-of-the-art \u201cSuperstar\u201d series \u2013 intended for routes in the Baltic Sea.<\/p>\n
All nine ships will be delivered between 2028 and 2030 and will feature ground-breaking, green technology innovations. Optimized hull and propeller designs, energy-efficient onboard power management systems (both at sea and in port), shore power readiness and the application of silicon-based hull coatings will reduce CO\u2082 emissions per transported cargo unit by more than 50% compared to vessels currently operating on the same routes.<\/p>\n
With length of 229 metres, the new Mediterranean ro-pax vessels will have a cargo capacity of 3,300 lane metres for rolling freight and over 300 cars. They can accommodate up to 2,500 passengers, offering more than 300 cabins (for a total of over 1,200 guests) and approximately 700 reclining seats.<\/p>\n
Passengers will have access to numerous onboard amenities, including three bars, a shopping area, a conference hall, two self-service restaurants, a panoramic \u00e0 la carte restaurant, an indoor\/outdoor lounge with an impressive sun deck featuring two pools, and a rooftop disco bar. The interior design will be carefully curated, with separate customized furnishings for Grimaldi Lines and Minoan Lines vessels, each specifically catering to the tastes and specific needs of their respective target markets.<\/p>\n
This new generation of vessels also marks a breakthrough in energy efficiency: the six \u201cNext Generation Med\u201d ships will be the first in the Mediterranean designed to run on methanol.<\/p>\n
As for the three new builds designated for the Baltic Sea, they will be 240 metres long, with a cargo capacity of 5,100 lane metres for rolling freight plus 90 cars, and accommodation in 320 cabins for up to 1,100 passengers. The new design is based on Finnlines\u2019 Superstar-class vessels, Finnsirius and Finncanopus, but has been adapted for the Finland-Germany route. The new ships will better suit longer crossings, feature new cabin categories and provide restaurant options tailored to different passenger preferences, with a strong focus on comfort and onboard experience.<\/p>\n
Facilities include five bars and restaurants, a spa with a wide range of services and treatments, including the iconic Finnish sauna, shops, and two children\u2019s play areas designed for different age groups. One of the standout features is the main bar at the bow of deck 12, which will offer breathtaking views of the Baltic Sea during the crossing.<\/p>\n
\u201cChina Merchants Industry Group and the Grimaldi Group have always been adhering to the concept of \u2018innovation-driven, quality first\u2019, making breakthroughs in green ship technology and intelligent shipping, and jointly defining a new benchmark in ro-pax vessels. As a leader in high-end equipment manufacturing in China, China Merchants Industry Group and CMI Weihai Shipyard will bring together a top R&D team, lean manufacturing system and full life cycle service system to ensure high-quality project delivery and help Grimaldi further consolidate its leading position in the European and global ro-ro shipping market,\u201d declared Wu Sichuan, Chairman of China Merchant Industry. \u201cChina Merchants Industry is willing to continue to work with the Grimaldi Group to deepen cooperation in cutting-edge fields such as zero-carbon fuel and smart ships and jointly provide more efficient and sustainable shipping solutions for global customers.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the order of these nine extraordinary ro-pax vessels, we continue and strengthen our long, successful alliance with China Merchants Group, an outstanding partner for the building of cutting-edge ships,\u201d said Emanuele Grimaldi, Managing Director of the Grimaldi Group and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Finnlines. \u201cThe new Next Generation Med and Hansa Superstar classes are the result of a thorough study of our customers\u2019 needs and, more broadly, those of shipping. Today more than ever, the latter requires quality, efficiency and environmental sustainability to remain a key mode of national and international freight and passenger transport. In particular, the exceptional performance in CO\u2082 emission reduction and the use of methanol as an alternative fuel bring our Group even closer to the global goal of net-zero emissions, further solidifying our position as a leading player in short-sea transport in the Mediterranean and Baltic regions.\u201d<\/p>\n
More information<\/strong><\/p>\n Thomas Doepel, President and CEO, Finnlines Plc Photo requests and other inquiries Finnlines Plc<\/em><\/p>\n Finnlines is a leading shipping operator of freight and passenger services in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay. The company is a part of the Grimaldi Group, one of the world\u2019s largest operators of ro-ro vessels and the largest operator of the Motorways of the Sea in Europe for both passengers and freight. This affiliation enables Finnlines to offer liner services to and from any destination in the Mediterranean, West Africa, North and South America as well as Asia and Australia.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Grimaldi Group, of which Finnlines is a part, has signed an order for nine pioneering ro-pax ships. Six vessels will be deployed in the Mediterranean under the Grimaldi Lines and Minoan Lines brands, while three will be operated by Finnlines in the Baltic Sea. Key features include reduced environmental impact and enhanced onboard comfort.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-from-the-shipowners"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
\nthomas.doepel@finnlines.com, +358 50 565 4273<\/p>\n
\ncommunications@finnlines.com<\/p>\n