VESSEL REVIEW | Altera – Hybrid Ro-Pax to sail on Finferries’ Turku archipelago routes

Finnish transport company the Suomen Lauttaliikenne Group, which operates under the trade name Finferries, recently took delivery of a new hybrid double-ended Ro-Pax ferry from Polish shipbuilder Crist. Named Altera, the LMG Marin-designed newbuild will operate alongside earlier sister vessel Elektra in the waters of the Turku Archipelago in south-western Finland.

The new ferry has a length of 100.5 metres, a beam of 17.4 metres, a draught of 3.1 metres, and capacity for 92 cars and 375 passengers plus a crew of three. The hybrid propulsion system includes two 600kWh batteries while diesel generators will serve mainly as backup, especially when sailing in bad weather or during instances of large ice buildup along its routes. Finferries said the hybrid propulsion will help ensure CO2 emissions of as much as 85 per cent compared to vessels that run on conventional diesel.

The batteries, which also have shore charging capability, drive two Schottel SRE 430 950kW azimuthing thrusters housing 2.35-metre propellers. Schottel said the azimuth drives possess ice reinforcement in compliance to Finnish-Swedish ice class 1B, which means that the ferry can be used year-round even in icy waters.

The hydraulic equipment consists mainly of an electro-hydraulic drive for lifting/lowering the vehicle ramps, deck covers, and anchor winches. The main components of the system include power supplies, electrical switchgear, controllers, and operator panels. This entire arrangement was provided by Hydromega.

Altera has already entered service, transporting passengers and vehicles across the Turku archipelago’s Parainen–Nauvo route. The ferry has since taken over the weekday sailings previously conducted by two existing Finferries vessels. The older ferries will continue to operate on the same route but primarily during weekends.