Godby Shipping placed an order for two Ro-Ro vessels with options for an additional two units at CIMC Raffles in China on February 11.
The vessels will have a length of 125 metres (410 feet), a beam of 24 metres (78 feet), and a trailer capacity of 1,700 lane metres (5,577 feet). According to Godby Shipping, the cargo capacity in tonnes is approximately 6,200.
Each vessel is equipped with one stern ramp and fixed ramps connecting three cargo decks. Typical cargo for the ships will include trailers, cassettes, cars, and forest products, though the company noted they can also load containers and dangerous goods.
The vessel design concept was developed alongside Technolog Services in Hamburg, Germany. Godby Shipping said the cargo capacity will be 70 to 100 per cent larger than its present vessels Mimer and Midas while maintaining the same fuel consumption.
The ships will be equipped with shore power connections and batteries. The company stated the battery capacity can later be increased and complemented by new power generation systems.
According to the project timeline, construction is scheduled to begin in June and November 2027. Launching will take place in May and October 2028, with delivery of the vessels in September 2028 and January 2029. The new ships will provide employment for approximately 50 persons onboard.
The company stated it hopes to be able to put the vessels under the Finnish flag. Similar to other vessels in the fleet, the new ships will feature a Finnish/Swedish ice-class 1A rating.