Finnsirius, Finnlines’s “Superstar” receives Shippax award
During the Shippax Conference, held on Tallink
Grupp’s ro-pax vessel Baltic Queen from 13 to 15 May, the Grimaldi Group
company Finnlines received an award for its state-of-the-art ro-pax vessel Finnsirius,
which entered service between mainland Finland, Åland and Sweden in
mid-September 2023.
The Shippax Awards were launched in 1996 to
stimulate innovations in the design and construction of new vessels. Their jury
is familiar with the particulars of all ships and trends in the industry and
they are now regarded as the most prestigious awards in the ferry, ro-ro and
cruise industry.
In the Shippax Awards organizers’ words, “The Finnsirius successfully combines
size, innovation, environmental responsibility and passenger comfort. Her
modern hybrid drive system with 5 MWh of energy storage helps to reduce fuel
consumption and, along with her shore connection, allows for quiet and
emission-free port stays, while the enormous capacity of 5,200 lane metres
ensures the highly efficient and thus climate-friendly transport of all kinds
of cargo. Many details, such as an air lubrication system, combine to turn the
Finnsirius into one of the 'greenest' ro-pax vessels around. At the same time,
she offers superior passenger accommodation and a thrilling choice of public
spaces rarely seen on cargo-focused ro-pax vessels. Moreover, the crew quarters
are noteworthy: generous in size and complete with gym and sauna, they make the
Finnsirius a truly attractive workplace at sea.”
The Finnsirius and her sister ship Finncanopus
are the largest ro-pax vessels in Finnlines’ fleet. Compared with their
predecessors on the Naantali-Långnäs-Kapellskär route, cargo capacity increased
by nearly 24%, while passenger capacity doubled from 554 to 1,100.
The vessels are equipped with many technical
innovations, which improve energy efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
These aspects were also considered in the accommodation, where lighting and
ventilation can be adjusted automatically. Printed materials, such as menus,
travel programmes and price lists, have been replaced by digital screens and
mobile apps.
Passenger services were upgraded with several
themed restaurants, a wide range of cabin categories, meeting rooms, lounges, a
large duty-free shop and a spa.
“I want to thank Shippax for this important
award, which Finnlines is honoured to receive, especially seeing the recipient
was chosen by professionals who know all the ins-and-outs of the shipping
industry,” commented Finnlines President & CEO Tom Pippingsköld.
“The Finnsirius and her sister
ship Finncanopus have impressed our freight customers, passengers and other
stakeholders, and we have high hopes for the summer season.”
Numerous equipment and system suppliers were involved in the design and construction of the Finnsirius. This is why the Shippax Award was presented not only to Finnlines, but also to the shipyard CMI Jinling Weihai, the naval architects Knud E. Hansen and Deltamarin, and the interior design studio dSign Vertti Kivi & Co.
