The formal construction agreement is to be signed in early 2019, with the design and construction work set to start immediately thereafter, according to Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO of RMC.
The ferry will accommodate some 800 passengers and have a freight capacity of 1,500 lane metres for vehicles. The vessel will be designed to be environmentally friendly, running on a dual fuel and battery solution with the main source of fuel being liquefied natural gas. The vessel will also be able to utilize biogas produced in Vaasa.
The ferry has an ice class of 1A Super, in order to guarantee that the vessel is able to navigate in the challenging ice conditions of the Kvarken region as independently as possible. RMC’s aim is to ensure the reliability of its vessels in all operating conditions.
Kvarken Link is owned by the city of Umeå and the city of Vaasa, both of whom serve as guarantors of the financing.
Rauma Marine Constructions, which operates from Rauma Shipyard, has seen rapid growth. During autumn of 2018, the shipbuilding company signed letters of intent regarding both a new ferry for Tallink to operate the Helsinki-Tallinn route, and four combat vessels, as part of the Squadron2020 project. In addition, RMC is also currently building blocks for a cruise ship at Turku Shipyard.
