April 1, 2022, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

The keel-laying ceremony has been held for Finnsirius, the first Superstar roll-on/roll-off passenger (RoPax) ferry ordered by Finnish ferry operator Finnlines.

The keel laying was celebrated China Merchants Jinling Shipyard in Weihai, China, on 1 April 2022.

The construction of the ship began in June last year.

The two cargo-passenger vessels will start to operate from Finland to Sweden and Åland Islands in 2023.

Finnsirius and  will operate on the Finland–Sweden route where Finnlines has sailed since 1997. The ports of call are Naantali in mainland Finland, Långnäs on the Åland Islands and Kapellskär in Sweden.

The combined passenger-cargo vessel will have capacity for about 300 lorries, 200 cars and 1,100 passengers. The vessels are 235 metres long and they utilize the latest eco-friendly technology such as shore power connection, exhaust gas abatement, waste heat recovery, battery pack, auto-mooring and a ballast water treatment system.

“Although we are moving on to a higher service level, the main focus has been on sustainability. Green values have been considered throughout the vessel, from energy generation to lighting management. Onshore power supply and a high-capacity battery pack are examples of how we eliminate local emissions. With the aid of the latest technologies and sustainable innovations, these large vessels are not expected to consume more fuel than the previous generation,” Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO of Finnlines, commented.

The next milestone for the Finnsirius will be launching in August 2022 when keel laying of the other Superstar RoPax vessel, Finncanopus, is also scheduled to take place.

The two Superstar vessels are part of Finnlines’ EUR 500-million newbuilding programme, which also includes .

The RoPaxes are expected to be delivered in autumn 2023 whereas the RoRo vessels will enter Finnlines’ services during 2022.