Construction of Tallink’s new ropax ‘MyStar’ commenced at Rauma shipyard on 6th April.
Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC) said that it was continuing to design and build ships, despite the global coronavirus pandemic.
Tallink’s new ropax will be the largest ship built at RMC thus far.
The new ship will be energy efficient and will have a dual-fuel solution that can use LNG. The vessel’s electric propulsion system will allow the ship to operate efficiently in all circumstances at speeds of up to 27 knots.
“We are proud to start the construction of ‘MyStar’, a new vessel which continues the tradition of building ships with our important customer, Tallink Grupp. This will be the seventh ferry built for Tallink at Rauma. Together, we are developing increasingly environmentally friendly shipping between Finland and Estonia,” said Jyrki Heinimaa, RMC President and CEO.
RMC also said it aimed to be the leading builder of car and passenger ferries in Europe. According to Heinimaa, building Tallink’s vessel will support this objective.
‘MyStar’ is valued at around €250 mill and will be about 212 m long and will have a gross tonnage of around 50,000. She will be able to accommodate around 3,000 pax and crew and will have a freight capacity of 1,900 lane metres for trucks and other vehicles.
She will operate on the core route between Helsinki, Finland, and Tallinn, Estonia.
“The world around us has recently changed beyond recognition and all around us we only see shut-downs, challenges and closure. Our group, too, is facing challenges, but we are working hard to get through the current situation and are continuing to focus on the future. And one of the key future projects already underway before the crisis was the construction project of our new shuttle, ‘MyStar’ – one of the most eco-friendly ships on the Baltic Sea. I am therefore pleased to say today that we are able to start this new project in co-operation with our long-standing partner, Rauma shipyard,” said Paavo Nõgene, Tallink Grupp CEO.
“During this intense challenging period, we see, more than ever, how much our economies rely on dependable, sustainable and eco-friendly ships, and the importance of vital shipping routes remaining open. At Tallink, this makes our commitment to building and operating the most innovative and most sustainable ships on the Baltic sea even stronger,” he added.
Rauma shipyard has taken measures to maintain operations and to prevent the spreading of the virus. Personnel and network partners are actively informed, more work is done remotely, online workspaces are being developed and personnel are supported. Cleanliness and tidiness are emphasised throughout the company. For production, the focus is on developing safe ways of working in close co-operation with network partners.
“Our primary objective is to ensure the health and safety of our personnel and partners. We are also aiming to minimise the impact the coronavirus will have on our production and finances. There is plenty of work to be done, as long as employees and materials can move. The shipyard is in full swing,” Heinimaa said.
