New ferry will only operate on Virtsu-Kuivastu route
Estonia's new ferry will only run on the Virtsu–Kuivastu route between the mainland and Muhu due to the required electrical charging equipment.
Polish shipyard CRIST S.A., won the procurement to build an electric-powered vessel by the end of 2028.
The ship will be smaller than the current ferries Tõll and Piret that serve the mainland–Saaremaa route, and it will accommodate 380 passengers, 110 cars, or eight trucks. It will also include a restaurant.
The ferry will operate primarily on electricity loaded from shore and stored in batteries, as well as on diesel.
TS Laevad plans to put the new vessel into service as one of its main ferries.
"The only place where the necessary shore infrastructure for charging an electric ferry will be built is on this route. It will not be possible to operate this vessel on the Hiiumaa route," said Indrek Randveer, chairman of the management board of TS Laevad.
As a result of the procurement, the vessel will cost €50 million, which is €8 million more than originally planned.
"Negotiations were held with four shipbuilders, of whom two submitted final bids that met all our requirements. The outcome reflects the situation in the European shipbuilding market – with increased demand for naval vessels and rising material costs, this is a very good result," said Minister of Infrastructure Kuldar Leis.
Questions have already been raised about the new ferry's lower ice class.
"The ice class was a deliberate decision. Ice class 1B is sufficient; it covers up to 60 centimeters of ice. A stronger class would have made the vessel significantly heavier and less economical to operate most of the time. Since this is a ferry that runs continuously on its route and ice thicker than 60 centimeters is extremely rare here, it is not a problem," Leis said.
The higher ice-class ferry Piret will go in for repairs on Sunday evening after an inspection revealed that two blades of its propeller were damaged in winter ice conditions.
"The situation certainly will not improve in this respect compared to today. This new ferry does indeed have a weaker ice class, and this winter showed how important ice class is for vessels. If such a winter occurs, we would prefer to operate our current main ferries," Randveer noted.
The new ferry is expected to be completed by the end of 2028. To ensure the ferry Regula lasts for two additional years, it will undergo major repairs at the beginning of next year
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Editor: Helen Wright, Marko Tooming
