Battery hybrid ferries to clean up the Baltic

Corvus Energy has been chosen by Wärtsilä to supply energy storage systems (ESS) for Finnline’s new battery hybrid ferries, which when completed should be among the most environmentally friendly Ro-Ro vessels in operation.

“There is significant potential for fuel and emissions reduction in Ro-Ro ships as they are normally on fixed routes,” said Roger Rosvold, Senior Vice President of Sales at Corvus Energy.

“Finnlines [has] invested heavily in technology for all their vessels to reduce emissions. Combined with a series of operational measures such as timetable planning and route optimization, as well as optimising speed, load and trim, Finnlines continues their progress towards sustainable operation of their fleet operations.”

Zero-emissions

In addition to Wärtsilä’s Hybrid Power Conversion system, which includes Corvus ESS that enables zero-emission operations in port, the vessels will be equipped with energy efficient engines, exhaust gas scrubbers and an innovative air lubrication system to reduce hull resistance.

All three ships will have the RINA’s Green Plus class notation and are being designed for flexible Ro-Ro cargo.

The vessels’ hulls are similar to those of the ‘Grimaldi Green 5th Generation’ vessels but are customised for Finnlines to meet its requirements for the highest Finnish/Swedish ice class.

Finnlines new vessels will be built at Nanjing shipyard and are expected to be delivered in 2021.