Smyril Line, a Faroese shipping company, has signed a deal with the CIMC Raffles shipyard in China to build two new RoRo cargo ships.
The ships on order measure 190 metres in length and feature 3,300 lane metres for trailers.
The new cargo ships will join Smyril Line’s current network, and they are planned to start sailing in 2026. They are designed for optimal year-round seaworthiness in the North Atlantic with great emphasize on our crew comforts and wellbeing on board.
READ: Port of Brunswick RoRo cargo up 61 per cent in September
The vessels are being planned in close collaboration with naval architects Knud E. Hansen, who, together with Smyril Line’s significant expertise in the North Atlantic, will guarantee that the ships are constructed for the unique route connecting Europe, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland.
According Smyril Line, the ships will contemporary and eco-friendly, satisfying all international emission regulations. They will emit substantially less per carried tonne than the present fleet.
Simultaneously, the newbuilds will be outfitted with a battery system and the ability to use shore power, allowing port operations to be done without emitting any pollutants.
They will also be equipped to travel on e-methanol, which is Smyril Line’s preferred future green energy source.
READ: MacGregor to supply RoRo equipment to Höegh Autoliners
Jens Meinhard Rasmussen, CEO of Smyril Line, said: “Now is the time to set ourselves new and bigger goals towards reducing emissions in the North Atlantic. The company’s main goal is to ensure safe and reliable transportation of both passengers and cargo, and to connect the periphery of the North Atlantic with the rest of the world.
“With the new ships, we emphasize futureproofing and leading the company towards a greener energy solution and lead the way for Smyril Line towards the goals for decarbonisation in our fleet renewal, supporting the green transition of the shipping industry.
“We will also transport much larger quantities of cargo with less energy consumption than we do now. The energy saving will be at least 60 per cent. This is an important step for us to achieve our goals towards net-zero emissions by 2050, while we can offer our customers an even better service.”
In January 2024, King Fahad Industrial Port in Yanbu welcomed the arrival of the Höegh Sydney, marking the first-ever RoRo vessel received through transshipment.
