FRS introduces emission-free electric ferry to island connection in Finland

During the ice-free season, FRS Finland will deploy a new fully electric, emission-free vessel built by Callboats in Vaasa, Finland. The CAT 16 type vessel can carry up to 58 passengers and is fully accessible. Entry into service is planned for the course of next year. 

During the winter season, the route will be operated by the icebreaker Pörtö, whose passenger area will undergo extensive modernization, as well as by a hovercraft. With this project, FRS Finland will introduce the first electric passenger vessel of this size into regular scheduled service in Finland. 

“We are very pleased that the Finnish government has created the framework conditions for emission-free transport and that we have found an innovative European technology partner in Callboats,” says Tim Kunstmann, Managing Director of the FRS Europe Division. 

The vessel will also be equipped with advanced autonomous technology. While a crew will remain on board, the system can monitor navigation along the route and assist with maneuvering and docking. 

“It uses a combination of different sensors that enable it to detect obstacles under almost all conditions, often even better than humans,” explains Peter Östberg, Managing Director of Callboats. 

FRS Finland has been working for years to reduce emissions in its operations. The company already uses environmentally friendly biodiesel on several routes. This will also be the case on this route during the winter season when the winter fleet is in operation. 

The FRS Ferry Group, headquartered in Flensburg, has evolved over more than 150 years from a regional passenger shipping company into an internationally active corporate group with more than 1,500 employees. FRS operates over 70 vessels worldwide. Today, the portfolio of the Northern Germany–based FRS Group comprises 14 operating subsidiaries located in Europe, North America, and the Caribbean. In Finland FRS operates 18 vessels in the metropolitan area of Helsinki and connects destinations like the fortress island of Suomenlinna to the mainland. 

In Northern Germany, FRS is one of the key players in inland waterway transport. The Glückstadt–Wischhafen Elbe ferry, one of the region’s most important infrastructure ferry services, connects Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony year-round with four car ferries operating at 30-minute intervals. In addition, FRS has extensive expertise in inland shipping through the “Weiße Flotte” in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, offering services around Rügen and in Rostock.  

Furthermore, FRS operates several solar-electric ferries in Berlin and has the world’s first dual-fuel hydrogen CTV, the Hydrocat 55, in operation within the offshore wind sector. The broad positioning and international presence of the FRS Group underline its importance as a leading global provider of maritime transport connections. 

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Press contact: 

FRS Europe Division GmbH 
Tim Kunstmann 
Managing Director 
E-mail: [email protected]