Suomenlinna ferries carrying millions to go electric

Ferries serving Suomenlinna are set to be converted to electric power, Yle reports. The plan is part of the City of Helsinki’s targets to reduce climate emissions in the coming years.

Petri Öhrmark, chief executive of Suomenlinna’s transport service, said work on the electrification plans began about two years ago. The ferries currently run on fuel oil.

Energy consumption was monitored on more than 24,000 trips, including during winter conditions. The data will be used to determine the size of the batteries and charging equipment needed.

The existing ferries are expected to remain in service, with electric systems installed during maintenance in the coming years. Some of the other technology on board is also reaching the end of its service life.

Buying new ferries would cost an estimated four times as much as upgrading the vessels already in use, Öhrmark said.

The plans are currently being verified before they are presented to the owner and preparations for the investment begin. From a technical perspective, the service is ready to move forward before 2030, he said.

The ferries carried more than two million passengers last year. About 998,000 passengers used them between January and June this year, around 62,000 more than during the same period last year.