SeaQuest Marine Project Management has been entrusted with the prestigious construction supervision job for three Green 5th Generation zero emission NB Ro-Ro vessels for Finnlines at China Merchants Group’s Nanjing Jinling Shipyard.

Finnlines Plc, a Finnish shipping company and part of the Grimaldi Group, had placed the order of the three Hybrid Ro-Ro Ultra-Large Green vessels at Jinling Shipyard back in 2018.

The vessels, whose basic design was developed by Danish ship designer Knud E. Hansen, are based on the same hull as the Grimaldi Green 5th Generation (GG5G) vessels under construction at the same yard (238m length, 34m beam), but customized to the needs of Finnlines allowing for heavy cargo and operation in cold climates with the highest Finnish/Swedish ice class 1A Super. They aim to be flexible enough for all types of Ro-Ro cargoes, with a capacity of 5,800 lane meters and more than 5,000 square meters of vehicle decks.

The vessels will be built with the latest technological and environmental solutions in mind. The new Ro-Ros will implement green features such as lithium batteries to provide electricity, guaranteeing zero emissions whilst in port and an innovative air lubrication system to reduce hull resistance using a thin layer of bubbles below the keel to ensure the lowest CO2 emissions.

The supervision site office at Jinling yard will open at beginning of June 2020 and function until the delivery of the last vessel which is expected by the end April 2022.

Announcing the contract, SeaQuest Managing Director and Chief Executive, Jan Andersson, said:

“We are extremely pleased to be selected to look after the construction of these challenging and advanced vessels, which will be the most innovative and efficient ro-ro vessels in the world. Finnlines has invested heavily in technology and sustainability of the fleet operations and the company is a forerunner in green shipping.”

He added: “We shall prove once more that our experience in supervision and familiarity with Far Eastern builders can serve a newbuilding project like no one else. This is the second time Finnlines have bestowed their trust in SeaQuest for a project in China, we are privileged and look forward to collaborating with them again in future”.

The site team, composed of a SeaQuest Site Manager and specialist supervisors for machinery & outfitting, hull & structure, electrical & automation, coating and a secretary / document controller, will also include Finnlines inspectors along with support of the Finnlines newbuilding department, and operate in accordance with SeaQuest’s ISO 9001:2015 certified QA system. Particular attention will be paid to the special requirements of these large vessels which include ice-class, winterization, green & energy saving solutions and operational flexibility.

The site team will operate under the mentorship and guidance of Jan Andersson who is a Far East resident. As the Project Manager for the newbuild project he will provide guidance, support and direction for any major or strategic issue which may impact on key events, ships’ delivery or cost.