Estonian State Fleet (ESF) has awarded a design and shipbuilding contract with Polish shipyard Crist for the construction of Estonia’s first fully electric passenger ferry.
Scheduled to enter service at the end of 2028, the new Ro-Pax ferry will operate primarily on shore-charged electricity and will be designed for year-round service in demanding Nordic conditions, including winter ice operations.
The ferry will be designed by Norwegian naval architecture firm LMG Marin.
ESF expects the new ferry will be up to 64 per cent more energy-efficient than Estonia’s existing reference vessel Regula, which is powered by traditional diesel generators.
The new ferry's primary power source will be shore-charged electricity stored in a 3MWh battery system, enabling fully electric operation on the main island´s Virtsu–Kuivastu route.
For extended range, severe weather and emergency operations, the vessel will also be equipped with biodiesel generators, providing an operating range of at least 1,000 nautical miles without refuelling. This hybrid redundancy will also make the vessel technically suitable for additional longer routes.
The ferry will be built to ice class 1B, enabling operation in ice up to 60 cm thick and maintaining standard operational speeds in lighter ice conditions.
To improve manoeuvrability and energy efficiency, the vessel will be equipped with azimuthing thrusters at both ends. ESF said the thrusters’ designed output will exceed the minimum requirements for ice class 1B, providing additional power for vessel operation in heavy ice.
At approximately 100 metres in length, the ferry will accommodate up to 110 passenger vehicles or eight freight trucks, with capacity for up to 380 passengers.