Installation of Systems on Grimaldi subsidiary’s Superstar flagship ro-pax vessels to take place at China Merchants Nanjing Jinling shipyard (Weihai)

Clean technology company Silverstream Technologies has today announced that it has secured an order from Finnlines to install its air lubrication technology, the Silverstream^® System, on two environmentally friendly newbuild ro-pax vessels, the first of which is starting to be built this summer at China Merchants Nanjing Jinling Shipyard (Weihai).

The Silverstream^® System will reduce fuel consumption and associated emissions on the two new design flagship Superstar vessels. The two 235m vessels, which have a capacity of 5,100 lane metres and will carry up to 1,100 passengers, will be delivered by 2023 to operate between Finland and Sweden across the Baltic Sea.

Choosing the Silverstream^® System will further improve the environmental credentials of the Superstar class ro-pax vessels, creating a new benchmark for what is already possible in terms of vessel design in the segment. The technology will exist alongside a suite of measures on the vessels to reduce environmental impact and improve passenger comfort.

The Silverstream^® System uses a series of air release units (ARUs) in the flat bottom of a vessel to generate a rigid carpet of microbubbles that travel the full length of the hull. Silverstream has already begun manufacturing the air release units (ARUs) for the two Superstar vessels and will start working with China Merchants Nanjing Jinling Shipyard to install the technology onboard.

Speaking on the announcement, Noah Silberschmidt, CEO, Silverstream Technologies, said: “We are proud to unveil the part that Silverstream is going to play to make Finnlines’ Superstar ropax vessels the most advanced passenger-freight ships on the market today. We are excited to get to work on installing our technology onboard these cutting edge vessels.

“Navigating the complexities of international supply chains – particularly as we continue to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic – requires strong partnerships and collaboration. The team at Silverstream is eager to collaborate once again with our long-term partners at Grimaldi Group and China Merchants Group to not only execute a successful project but push the boundaries for efficient vessel design.”

Emanuele Grimaldi, CEO, Finnlines, said: “We are constantly renewing and developing our fleet, and the upcoming three hybrid ro-ros, as well as two eco-sustainable Superstar ro-paxes, are a next step in the evolution of Finnlines’ fleet. These new vessels will increase our cargo and passenger capacity significantly and, together with our connections, we can meet the needs of our customers better – in a sustainable and responsible way.”

Mikael Lindholm, Head of Newbuilding Department, Finnlines, added: “Finnlines has chosen Silverstream Technologies based on their extensive experience, since they have invested significantly in research and development. We look forward to collaborating with them in future.”

Today’s announcement follows the recent completion of trials of the Silverstream^® System on another Grimaldi Group newbuild ro-ro vessel, the Eco Valencia. Fuel and emissions savings of 5.1% were recorded during ALS testing on the Grimaldi Green 5th Generation ro-ro carrier. Silverstream continues to progress with installations across the rest of Grimaldi’s GG5G fleet.