It will connect Tallinn, in Estonia, to Helsinki, in Finland. The new vessel, which will be built by AS Tallink Grupp and Meyer Turku Oy, will be able to accommodate approximately 2,800 passengers, will be 212 metres long, with a gross tonnage of 49,000 tonnes.

The vessel will be powered by a dual-fuel propulsion system, also using liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel. Designed to reach 27 knots and navigate even in icy sea conditions, it represents an investment the company estimates at 230 million euros and will provide work for around 2,000 workers.

Thanks to the use of liquefied natural gas, the vessel will comply with the recent international regulations on ship emissions, which set a maximum sulphur content of 0.1 per cent within the Eca (Emission Control Areas) zone, an area that falls within the boundaries of the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel as far as Falmouth.

The LNG will be stored in two tanks produced by German company Linde, which will supply the low-emission fuel. "In designing the new LNG-powered ferry, we have selected the best solutions and the best suppliers worldwide, so as to make the vessel eco-sustainable for many years to come," said Tarvi-Carlos Tuulik, head of the ship division at AS Tallink Grupp, in a press release. "As market leader on the Tallinn–Helsinki route, we are proud to have set the standard for the next generation of passenger vessels."

It has been calculated that if this fuel were used to power large vessels, CO2 emissions could be reduced by 20 per cent (according to themeditelegraph), while at present there are only 40 vessels already in service worldwide.

Cover image via meyerturku.com