The Estonian State Fleet has won Approval in Principle (AIP) from Lloyd’s Register (LR) for a hydrogen fuel-cell ferry designed by Finnish ship design and engineering company Deltamarin.
As part of the certification, LR approved the current stage of the design process to be suitable for further design, construction, and procurement of the ropax ferry. The thorough AiP process was conducted by LR experts and led by its Hamburg Technical Support Office.
The zero-emissions ferry is to be operated between the Estonian mainland and the islands of Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, on the Virtsu-Kuivastu and Rohuküla-Heltermaa routes, which connect the Baltic nation to its two largest islands.
The new energy-efficient ferry will be unique in the region, as it will be able to run entirely on hydrogen fuel, in addition to shore-supplied electricity, operate without noise and vibrations, and operate in fully autonomous mode with crew onboard.
LR has also approved the strength of the new ferry concept at the end of November 2023.
Estonian Government launched the call for tender for the construction of the ferry back in December 2023, and the submission deadline was January 17, 2024. The name of the selected bidder is expected to be announced shortly.
The new ferry will accommodate just over 1,000 lane meters for cars, about 20% more than the previous generation ferries. The ferry is designed to carry up to 700 passengers.
The estimated cost of the procurement is around €40 million. The shipbuilding will be financed by the European Modernisation Fund and revenues from CO2 emissions trading.
The new vessel is planned to start operating on the Virtsu–Kuivastu route on October 1, 2026.
Meanwhile, the Estonian State Fleet has signed a deal with Baltic Workboats for the construction of a new workboat that will be powered by biomethane and electricity to cut emissions.