Finnlines Boosts Ro-Ro Fleet

Finnish shipping company Finnlines has purchased another ro-ro vessel, which was named MS Finnmerchant (ex MS Dorset, ex MS Longstone).

Earlier this week Finnlines added two ro/ro vessels for its North Sea liner services, slated for delivery at the end of the year.

MS Finnmerchant will be employed on  the route between Hanko and Rostock, which Finnlines plan to open as of 19 January 2015.

The new Hanko-Rostock service complements the company’s existing Helsinki-Rostock service.

Hanko is the most southern port of Finland, and well connected to both western and southern areas of the country.

“This innovative Hanko-Rostock route offers a safe, economical and environmentally friendly alternative for all cargo groups from Rostock to the rest of Europe. At the same time Finnlines strengthens its presence in Rostock as well by offering four weekly roundtrips between Rostock and Finland,” Staffan Herlin, Head of Group Marketing and Sales pointed out.

MS Finnmerchant was built in 2003, has the ice class 1A,  2 606 lanemetres and gross tonnage of 23 235.