OREANDA-NEWS. October 28, 2014. The Port of Tallinn, named by the Ministry of Economic Affairs as the operator for domestic ferry services for 10 years from the fall of 2016, said it has signed contra

cts to buy two new ferries and is hoping to sign the other two contracts in the next few days.

The requirement of the failed procurement and the following direct negotiations to find the next service provider had a requirement of four ferries, all new or slightly used. CEO of the state-owned company Ain Kaljurand said he hopes to sign construction contracts for the other two ferries in the next few days, adding that all four ships will be ready by October of 2016.

He said it usually took 12 months to draw up the construction project, but in this case, they will save that time and go with a basic project that needs minor tweaks.

Head of current operator Vainamere Liinid head Urmas Treial said two years is a very short time and the process will be rushed. He said when his company ordered its ferries, they asked for specific parameters and ice-breaking capabilities.