STX Finland Oy's Turku Shipyard today started the production of an environmentally friendly, new-generation cruise ferry to be built for Viking Line ABP. The start of production at the Turku Shipyard was carried out following the traditions of the yard. The event organised in the steel construction hall, was witnessed by representatives of Viking Line, STX Finland, the classification society Lloyd’s Register, invited guests and members of the press.

After completion, the new Viking Line cruise ferry (NB 1376) is considered to be the most environmentally friendly cruise ferry ever built. It is fuelled with liquefied natural gas (LNG), discharge and pollution into the sea have been eliminated, and the emission into the air is significantly lower than that of any other cruise ferry in the world. The 214-meter long cruise ferry is scheduled for delivery in the beginning of 2013. For the Turku Shipyards, the construction will bring approximately 2,600 many-years of labour.

“We are very proud to build this unique cruise ferry with such a high number of new technical innovations for Viking Line. The design and procurement processes for the cruise ferry have progressed as planned and we are very pleased that the production is starting on schedule. This is key project for STX Finland’s Turku Shipyard and I am pleased to see the shipyard´s production workload growing and the employment increasing,” says Jari Anttila, Director of STX Turku Shipyard.