Estonian ferry operator Tallink’s new 50,000gt LNG-powered, environmentally friendly ship, MyStar under construction at Rauma Marine Constructions’ shipyard in Finland was christened on 12 August by the president of the Republic of Estonia, Kersti Kaljulaid. The ship was also launched at the ceremony, with the event organised according to the strictest COVID-19 safety measures.
MyStar is, to date, the largest ship to be built at Rauma Shipyard. It is also the seventh vessel to be built for Tallink in Rauma. The ship is fuelled by LNG and once completed, will be the most environmentally friendly vessel to operate in the Baltic Sea. When it starts operating on the Helsinki-Tallinn route next year, two environmentally friendly high-speed shuttle ferries, MyStar and Megastar, will operate between Finland and Estonia. Both ships meet all current and currently known future emissions requirements.
“We are grateful that despite the difficult times, today we were able to celebrate an important milestone in the construction of our newest ship, MyStar. We are now meeting properly for the first time at the Rauma shipyard together with our partners. This is an important occasion not only for the MyStar project team, but also for the entire shipping industry and the passengers too. We are celebrating the fact that shipping will be increasingly environmentally friendly, efficient and responsible in the future,” said Paavo Nõgene, CEO, Tallink Grupp.
MyStar’s celebrations were carried out in Rauma accompanied by strict COVID-19 safety and security measures. The event was also streamed live, making it possible for guests to view the ceremony remotely.
According to Jyrki Heinimaa, CEO of Rauma Marine Constructions, it is important that amid long-lasting exceptional circumstances, the successful project can also be celebrated. “We are very pleased that we were able to celebrate this important event today with strict COVID-19 safety and security measures in place. We have been working together for over a year, and both Tallink’s and RMC’s project teams deserve great praise for the work they have done in these challenging conditions. We are excited to proceed to a new stage in MyStar’s construction work as the work begins to shift from the exterior of the ship to the interior. At the same time, we can begin to look forward to the next milestone of the most environmentally friendly vessel to operate in the Baltic Sea,” said Heinimaa.
The handover of the MyStar from Rauma shipyard to Tallink, is scheduled to take place in the first half of 2022.
