Wallenius SOL’s record ship reaches Europe – first call Zeebrugge

By | 2022 Newsletter week 27 | No Comments

BOTNIA ENABLER – the world’s largest ice-rated ConRo vessel with multi-fuel (*) operation – has reached Europe and will enter regular service within a few days.

The first of two Ferry Shipping Summit award-winning ConRo vessels called at Zeebrugge on June 30th.

“Finally being able to welcome her to Europe is a big deal,” says Ragnar Johansson, Managing Director at Wallenius SOL.

On 7 July 2022, BOTNIA ENABLER will enter scheduled traffic on her regular Zeebrugge-Antwerp-Kookola-Oulu-Kemi-Skellefteå-Travemünde route.

“Botnia Enabler has increased our container capacity by 300%, and almost 100% for RoRo cargo, compared to the ship she is replacing. And later, when we add BALTIC ENABLER, the route will have a capacity of 962 TEU,” says Ragnar Johansson.

The vessels have been designed by Knud E. Hansen.

(*) Multi fuel = LNG, LBG, diesel and synthetic diesel

Ragnar Johansson, Managing Director Wallenius SOL, and Michael Kjellberg, Board Member Wallenius SOL, minutes before embarking the ship for the first time.

Lieve Duprez, Chief Officer Shortsea at Port of Antwerp Bruges and Captain Tobias Persson

BALTIC ENABLER complements the duo

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Chinese shipyard CIMC Raffles has delivered BALTIC ENABLER to its owner WALLENIUS SOL (22 June).

BALTIC ENABLER, together with her sister ship BOTNIA ENABLER delivered earlier in the spring, has been named RoRo vessel of the year at the Ferry Shipping Summit 2022.

She is considered to be the world’s largest ice-rated ConRo vessel with multi-fuel operation.

The newly built vessel, which has Finnish-Swedish ice class 1A, an LOA of 242 metres and a beam of 35.2 metres, is sailing under the Swedish flag. In addition to their size, the Enablers are characterized by their high environmental performance and a design specially suited to the shipping requirements of the Swedish and Finnish base industry. According to Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL) estimates, the vessels will be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 63%, NOx by 96% and SOx and particulates by 99%.

Once in Europe she will begin trafficking her regular Zeebrugge-Antwerpen-Kokkola-Skelleftea-Oulu-Kemi-Travemünde route.

Wallenius Marine in collaboration with Knud E Hansen led the design work and the construction project for the two sister ships. Wallenius Marine will also be responsible for manning and technical operation of the new vessels.

Ice class: 1A Super

Type of vessel: ConRo

LOA: 242 m

Beam: 35.2 m

Deadweight: 27,000 tonnes

Cargo capacity: 5,800 Lane metres

Max speed: 20 knots

Engines: Multi-fuel (LNG, LBG, diesel and synthetic diesel)

BOTNIA ENABLER delivered to Wallenius SOL

By | 2022 Newsletter week 20 | No Comments

BOTNIA ENABLER, the world’s largest ice-rated multi-fuel ConRo vessel, has now been delivered to its owner Wallenius SOL.

“We’re incredibly pleased and proud to welcome Botnia Enabler to our fleet. She’s been eagerly awaited by us and our customers,” says Ragnar Johansson, Managing Director, WALLENIUS SOL.

The ship has a length of 242 metres, a beam of 35.2 metres and the highest Finnish-Swedish ice class to cope with the harsh winter conditions in the Gulf of Bothnia.

The ship will be loading cargo in two Chinese ports before the she heads home to Europe and the Gulf of Bothnia. According to calculations, Botnia Enabler will call at its first European port, Antwerp, at the end of June. The ship will then enter regular traffic on her Zeebrugge-Antwerp-Kokkola-Skellefteå-Oulu-Kemi-Travemünde route.

The container carrying capacity on the route will increase by almost 300% and roro capacity will increase by almost 100%.

BOTNIA ENABLER is significantly more energy efficient per transported unit than older vessels, and according to IVL’s calculations, she will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 63%, but also NOx (96%), SOx (99%) and particulates (99%).

Her sister ship, BALTIC ENABLER, is scheduled for delivery later this summer.

Botnia Enabler

Ice class: 1A Super

Type of vessel: ConRo

LOA: 242 m

Dead weight: 27,000 tonnes

Cargo capacity 5,800 lane metres

Maximum speed: 20 knots

Engines: Multi-fuel (LNG, LBG, diesel and synthetic diesel)

Capacity Increase on Karlskrona-Gdynia

By | 2021 Newsletter week 39 | No Comments

Stena Line also announced their plans to increase the capacity on the Karlskrona-Gdynia route further during 2022 with the deployment of the two large and modern 222-meter RoPax ferries STENA SCANDICA and STENA BALTICA.

After 7 months in the dry dock STENA BALTICA was launched at the Sedef Shipyard on Wednesday 29 September. She is first expected to join sister vessel STENA SCANDICA on the Baltic Sea route between Nynäshamn and Ventspils early next year.

Green Cargo on Greener Ships

By | 2021 Newsletter week 39 | No Comments

WALLENIUS SOL will introduce weekly traffic to the Port of Skellefteå beginning October 2021.

What’s behind? An agreement between logistics company Scanlog and Northvolt.

Northvolt’s first battery gigafactory is being established in Skellefteå and serves as Northvolt’s primary site for manufacturing of active material, cell assembly and recycling.

Route: Zeebrugge-Antwerp-Kokkola-Skelleftehamn-Kemi-Oulu

In the initial stage, the chartered vessels Fiona Sea and Jutlandia Sea will be plying the route. At the end of the year, they will be replaced by WALLENIUS SOL’s newly built vessels, which will be the world’s biggest ice-rated, multi-fuel RoRo vessels.

VIDEO

By | 2021 Newsletter week 23 | No Comments

Wallenius SOL RoRo Vessels Prepare for Launch

What began as a wish list from WALLENIUS SOL soon became a unique ship concept known as ‘the world’s largest ice-rated multi-fuel RoRo-ships’. And now, around two years later, their launch is not far away.

Watch video

SHORT NEWS

By | 2021 Newsletter week 20 | No Comments

First Call Of TRANSFIGHTER For Wallenius SOL

18-19 May 2021: TRANSFIGHTER called in Antwerp and Zeebrugge for the first time as sixth Wallenius SOL ship.

THE VESSEL is deployed in a bi-weekly service on the Oulu – Kokkola – Antwerp – Zeebrugge leg while also adding Port of Rauma as loading port.