STX Turku Shipyard on Tuesday performed the keel-laying of newbuilding 1376, an environmentally friendly new generation cruise ferry to be built for Viking Line.

When completed, ‘Viking Grace’ will be the most environmentally friendly large cruise ferry ever. It is fuelled by liquefied natural gas (LNG), emissions into the sea have been totally eliminated, and emissions into the air are remarkably lower than those of any other ships. The 218-metre long cruise ferry is scheduled for delivery at the beginning of 2013. For STX Turku it brings approximately 2,600 man-years of labour.

The keel-laying ceremony followed old traditions and was witnessed by representatives of Viking Line, STX Finland and the classification society Lloyd’s Register, invited guests and members of the press.

“The project has advanced according to plan and we are pleased to be able to celebrate the keel-laying of the cruise ferry at the STX Turku Shipyard” says Jari Anttila, director of STX Turku. “The ship has already attracted a lot of interest both nationally and intarnatinonally due to her new and innovative technical solutions.”