Estonian State Fleet introduced a name for tender for the design and building of a brand new, battery-powered electrical ferry to serve the primary islands in Estonia.
“I’m proud to see Estonia main the best way in adopting environmentally sustainable applied sciences within the maritime sector to realize this,” stated Estonian Minister of Infrastructure, Vladimir Svet. “The brand new ferry shall be related in dimension and capability to the prevailing vessels however shall be considerably extra economical and environmentally sustainable.”
The brand new ferry will primarily be powered by inexperienced electrical energy, sourced from the shore and saved within the ship’s onboard batteries. As well as, biodiesel-powered auxiliary turbines shall be obtainable to be used throughout excessive ice circumstances or different particular circumstances. Based on Sander Sääsk, Director of Improvement Companies on the Estonian State Fleet, electrical energy will stay the vessel’s major vitality supply to maximise use effectivity. “The undertaking’s funding standards require the brand new ferry to be at the very least 66% extra energy-efficient than the reference vessel, and this normal has been absolutely built-in into the present tender,” stated Sääsk.
The brand new ferry will boast a contemporary onboard restaurant, retail store, lounge areas, and crew cabins. Particular care has been taken to make sure full accessibility for passengers with disabilities, together with these with mobility and visible impairments. The ferry will accommodate as much as 500 passengers and round 130 automobiles. “The proposed dimension of the vessel permits for faster loading, which is able to assist operators preserve the present ferry schedules,” stated Sääsk. The general size of the ferry should fall inside the vary of 100 to 114 meters, contemplating the particular traits of the Kuivastu and Virtsu harbors. The ferry should additionally meet ice class 1B as outlined by the Finnish-Swedish ice class rules.
The brand new ferry is deliberate to be the primary vessel for the Virtsu-Kuivastu route in Estonia however may also be appropriate for the Rohuküla-Heltermaa route if mandatory. The deadline for submission of tenders for the development and design of the vessel is December 10, 2024. The ferry is scheduled for completion by February 2027, with operations set to begin later that spring.
The ferry undertaking is financed by the European Modernisation Fund and revenues from CO2 emissions buying and selling.
For additional particulars relating to the tender, please go to the Estonian Procurement Register.
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