Remontowa Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland, where the Tõll and Piret were built, reportedly paid more than €6 million in fines, while Sefine Shipyard in Yalova, Turkey, where the Leiger and Tiiu were built, had to pay in excess of €4 million.

According to the contracts concluded with the shipyards, both the cost of the ferries and the total fines paid are to remain secret. At the same time, Kaido Padar, CEO of Port of Tallinn subsidiary TS Laevad, confirmed that the fines had already been paid in full.

"The final payments on all of the ferries have included the fines as well," said Padar. "At this point I can reassure you that we have received everything that was available."

According to the original schedule, all four new ferries were supposed to enter into service in October of last year. As the shipyards fell behind schedule and this did not happen, the Port of Tallinn had to spend millions of euros to lease substitute ferries.

The most expensive such rental was the one-year leasing of the Hiiumaa, which cost more than €6 million, as Olav Miil, its owner, would not agree to a shorter lease period.

The Port of Tallinn must also in turn pay fines for the delay of the ferries to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication. According to Padar, however, the fines cover the cost of having rented backup ferries.

The state-owned port operator no longer needs to use the Hiiumaa, which was leased for a period of one year. "We are seeking the opportunity to perhaps charter it somewhere for the summer," he noted.