State on the lookout for new fifth island ferry

The state is looking at options on acquiring a new, fifth ferry to ply the routes to Estonia's largest islands and to replace an aging vessel soon to be decommissioned.
The 52-year-old Regula is currently used as a reserve ferry on the mainland routes to and from Saaremaa/Muhu and Hiiumm, but may be retired from 2027.
A recent government-organized ferry tender led to no change, in other words TS Laevad remains the service provider, but this has also concentrated minds on the fate of the Regula, and its replacement with a new vessel.
Since TS Laevad is a subsidiary of the part state-owned Port of Tallinn (Tallinna Sadam), Andres Laasma, Director General of the State Shipping Fleet (Riigilaevastik), also commented on the situation, saying: "We are firmly planning for the ship to be operational by October 2026 as originally planned."
"We see no reason at the moment to doubt this timeline will be met. We are assessing the situation and will then decide on the next procurement process. We are talking about a completely new generation ship, with new technology and zero-emission energy usage,"
Laasma's confidence remained, even as: "Such ships do not yet exist."
"We are talking about a truly unique vessel in the world," he added.
Guldar Kivro, head of the maritime sector at TS Laevad said that the addition of a fifth ferry would also allow for one of the existing ships, the Piret, to be taking off-line so it can be retrofitted, converting it from a hybrid diesel-electric set-up, to a fully electric ferry.
Transport volumes have been growing by about 2 percent per annum in recent years, and carriers forecast the same growth for the entire next period.
Indrek Randveer, CEO of TS Laevad, said: "Currently, we transport approximately 2.5 million passengers and 1.2 million vehicles annually. We have factored this continued trend and moderate growth rate for both major islands into our plans."
Guldar Kivro reiterated "There is definitely a need for a fifth vessel as volumes are continuously increasing. The question is whether this ship should be larger or smaller. A smaller one would provide more flexibility, exactly the additional capacity we need today. These are all points for discussion."
Laid down in Germany in 1972, the Regula (pictured) was once the pride of the Väinameri, the enclosed sea between Saaremaa and Hiiumaa, as the first "white ship" (a folk motif in Estonia meaning a vessel which comes to the rescue) which ended the era of older and slower ferries when introduced to the route.
However, rules would require modifications by 2027 which, TS Laevad says, would render it uneconomical to continue using the Regula.
The only other changes following the continuation of TS Laevad's service contract lies at the other end of the spectrum in terms of size of task; TS Laevad will soon be offering free drinking water aboard its ferries, the company has announced..
--
Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!
Editor: Andrew Whyte, Mait Ots