RMC will soon deliver the vessel to Wasaline ahead of her starting service between Finland and Sweden
By
Rebecca Gibson |
Wasaline’s new car and passenger ferry Aurora Botnia has successfully completed her first sea trials.
The vessel, which is nearing completion at the Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) shipyard in Finland, underwent three days of tests to assess operational performance. Representatives from RMc, Wasaline and equipment manufacturers attended the trials, which were carried out in accordance with strict Covid-19-related health and safety measures.
“The event was important to Wasaline, as we had the opportunity to get to know our new ship and its operations in marine conditions for the first time with the project’s key personnel,” said Peter Ståhlberg, managing director of Wasaline.
Following the trials, Aurora Botnia’s equipment was adjusted to ensure it operates as efficiently and economically as possible.
“We adjusted the power plant and tested the ship’s speed, propulsion and steering, among other things, during the sea trials,” said Johanna Kaijo, project manager for Aurora Botnia at RMC. “We ran the ship’s fuel-efficient main engines with different settings and fine-tuned the automation to further improve the vessel’s environmental sustainability. In addition, we were able to ensure in practice that the ship's design meets the strict criteria of the Clean Design class notation.”
Aurora Botnia will be the first car and passenger ferry in the world with a Clean Design class notation, which signifies that it has been designed and built to significantly exceed the requirements of the MARPOL Convention for the prevention of pollution from ships. The main engines will operate primarily on low-emission LNG fuel to minimise sulphur, nitrogen and carbon dioxide emissions. The ship also has an electric power system that can be used in ports and in future, she will be able to be powered by biogas.
“Our goal is to be a pioneer in environmentally sustainable technology in shipbuilding,” said Jyrki Heinimaa, president and CEO of RMC. “Our ship for Wasaline is a prime example of what we can achieve by combining years of experience from building dozens of previous ships with the latest innovations. We are grateful to the customer for the opportunity to build such a great vessel.”
Preparations are underway for RMC to deliver Aurora Botnia to Wasaline in Vaasa, Finland. The date of the handover, the maiden voyage and the start of ticket sales will be announced next week. Once in service, the vessel will operate between Vaasa and Umeå in Sweden.