By
Alex Smith |
Finnish interior design firm Merima has partnered with Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) to provide interiors for Wasaline’s and Tallink’s new passenger ferries, which are currently under construction.
The company will build all the public rooms and cabins for the ships, as well as large parts of their technical areas. As part of the new partnership, Merima will establish a cabin factory in the town of Rauma, Finland to serve both the ships that are currently under construction and future projects.
“It is a privilege to participate not only in the construction of these new ferries at Rauma, but also in RMC’s new partnership model of shipbuilding,” said Mikko Mäkiranta, the deputy CEO of Merima. “We have a good working relationship with Rauma, going back many years, but RMC’s new partnership model takes our collaboration to another level. Merima’s strategy is to provide state-of-the-art solutions, and the term state-of-the-art is perfect for describing both the ships and the way they are built.”
Wasaline’s new ferry is due for delivery in spring 2021 and is designed for the route between Vaasa, Finland and Umeå, Sweden, with capacity for 800 passengers. The new shuttle ferry for Tallink will enter service in 2022 and sail between Helsinki, Finland and Tallinn, Estonia, offering capacity for 2,800 passengers. Both ferries will use LNG as their main fuel and be equipped with battery packs to further reduce emissions.
“RMC’s goal is to become the world’s leading ferry builder,” said Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO of RMC. “Merima, the experts at turnkey interior solutions, are a logical partner for us and we look forward to continued good collaboration with them.”