OREANDA-NEWS. December 16, 2014. Tallink Group and Meyer Turku have signed a letter of intent for the construction of an eco-friendly LNG-powered ferry to service the Tallinn-Helsinki route. The ship will cost around 230 million euros and be in operation in the beginning of 2017.

The new ferry will be about 212 meters long and have a gross tonnage of 49,000. It will carry 2,800 passengers.

The ferry is designed to have an array of innovative systems and new technical solutions that make it environmentally friendly. The ship uses liquefied gas as fuel and complies with the strict emission regulations for the Baltic Sea.

It is the seventh ship to be built for Tallink by the Finnish shipbuilding company Meyer Turku.

Janek Stalmeister, member of Tallink's management board, said that the new ferry aims to upgrade the Tallinn-Helsinki route service and strengthen Tallink's competitive advantage.