The Minister of Transport and Communications christened Finland’s first electric ferry
Published on 29.05.2017
Finferries’ new ferry, Elektra, was named today, 29 May, at River Aura in Turku. Invited guests and media were present at the christening ceremony. The traditional christening was performed by the vessel’s godmother, Minister of Transport and Communications Anne Berner.
“It is a great honour to have Minister of Transport and Communications Berner as godmother of our largely electrically-powered vessel. This confirms that our investment in a new environmentally friendly technology is appreciated,” says Mats Rosin, CEO of Finferries.
Elektra’s power source consists primarily of batteries that are charged with shore power each time the vessel calls to port. In addition to the batteries, the ferry runs on back-up diesel power that can be put to use in such circumstances as challenging ice conditions or in the case of a power cut. The design criteria have emphasised operational reliability, which results in a ferry that has the latest technology and produces a high-quality basic service.
The construction on the Elektra began in April last year at the Polish CRIST S.A. shipyard. Finferries is pleased with the cooperation with the vessel’s supplier. The finish on the car deck details alone is enough to demonstrate that the shipyard has maintained a high level of quality in its work.
The modern technology required of the electric ferry was provided by Siemens.
“It was safe to invest in new technology with a cooperative partner that already presented proof of a functioning electric ferry,” states Mats Rosin, referring to the electric ferry Ampere that traffics Norway and whose technology also comes from Siemens.
The electrically powered hybrid ferry is considerably larger than previous road ferries. Elektra measures 97.92 metres long and 15.20 metres wide and has a capacity for 90 passenger cars. Traffic along the Parainen–Nauvo route will begin in June 2017. The arrival of the new vessel will not affect the timetables for the route.
Finferries welcomes everyone aboard on its new generation vessel!