Finland-based transport firm Viking Line is to launch an emission-free route between Helsinki and Tallinn, Estonia, which can be serviced by what’s hailed as “the world’s largest” all-electric passenger automobile ferry.
As disclosed, Viking Line has submitted a funding utility to the EU’s Innovation Fund for the development of the ferry. Christened Helios, the vessel may enter service within the Gulf of Finland as quickly because the 2030s.
Developed by Viking Line’s staff, the ferry idea was primarily based on a analysis collaboration between the Finnish agency, shipbuilder Rauma Marine Constructions and quite a few different companions.
The ferry will reportedly be outfitted with a battery capability of round 85-100 megawatt hours (MWh). It’s set to move as much as 2,000 passengers throughout the Gulf in simply over two hours. As disclosed, the size of the idea vessel is 195 meters. Its width is envisioned to be 30 meters, whereas the unit is projected to realize a velocity of roughly 23 knots.
In accordance with Viking Line, the ferry will necessitate a charging capability of over 30 MWh.
Talking on the event, Viking Line’s CEO Jan Hanses stated that this was a ‘nice alternative’ for each Helsinki and Tallinn ports by way of the institution of a inexperienced maritime hall between Estonia and Finland.
“Electrical transport is just not created solely by ship investments. It additionally requires environment friendly, dependable charging infrastructure in ports. The house port for the brand new electrical vessels could be Jätkäsaari, the place the Port of Helsinki has a growth and growth programme underway till 2032. The progress of this venture is extraordinarily necessary for our personal plans,” he additional elaborated, including that the corporate has plans to guide at the very least two models that might service the deliberate route.
Emission-free transport within the Gulf of Finland is promoted by the FIN-EST Inexperienced Hall venture, which was carried out by the cities of Helsinki and Tallinn in October 2023. Founders and members additionally embody the ports of Helsinki and Tallinn, Estonia’s Ministry of Local weather, Viking Line, Rederi AB Eckerö and Tallink Grupp.
The FIN-EST Inexperienced Hall greenlit 19 joint initiatives masking an array of initiatives that might help local weather neutrality in October 2024, signalling the subsequent stage of this imaginative and prescient.
As understood, most passenger and freight visitors from the Port of Helsinki is sure for Estonia. Per the port’s predictions, passenger visitors between town’s West Harbour and Tallinn may balloon from 5.5 million in 2024 to 11.6 million passengers by 2040. Cargo volumes are additionally anticipated to develop.
“The Helsinki–Tallinn route carried out notably nicely final yr, and we imagine quantity will proceed to extend – there may be sturdy demand, primarily based on want, for connections between Finland and the Baltic. EU emissions buying and selling charges and tightening laws place an ever bigger burden on fossil fuel-based maritime visitors yearly, however emission-free expertise would allow us to extend capability on the route,” Hanses remarked.
Over the previous years, Viking Line has steadied its course towards low-emission transport – and Web Zero – by investing what’s estimated to be lots of of hundreds of thousands of euros in new applied sciences.
For example, the transport participant’s 2013-built passenger vessel Viking Grace was described because the ‘world’s first’ unit of its kind to make use of each liquefied pure fuel (LNG) and biogas as gas. In 2021, trial testing of rotor sail expertise developed by Finland’s Norsepower onboard Viking Grace was wrapped up, showcasing the potential of wind propulsion mixed with dual-fuel specs. In 2022, the corporate added the Finnish-flagged LNG-powered Viking Glory to its roster.
Along with liquefied pure fuel, the corporate has additionally embraced using biofuel. To remind, in January 2025, Viking Line unveiled its biofuel-based sustainable effort for chopping down on greenhouse fuel (GHG) emissions from convention journeys on three vessels on its Helsinki routes.
